


Tameness of a Wolf

by elyssblair



Series: LCIS Universe [2]
Category: Numb3rs
Genre: Alternate Universe, Case Fic, LCIS, M/M, Minor Violence, Wolf Shifters
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2012-08-12
Updated: 2012-08-13
Packaged: 2017-11-12 00:19:22
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 4
Words: 29,075
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/484530
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/elyssblair/pseuds/elyssblair
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>With a newly formed pack that hasn’t quite found its way, Don needs all the help he can get to stop a serial killer before he strikes again.  Charlie has always been a wolf in academic clothing, stranded between a world of math and logic and one of instinct. Ian is happy to be a lone wolf, his unusual capabilities making him perfect for his solitary job and unwelcome by most alphas.  <br/>When they come together to stop a rogue shifter hell-bent on destroying as many packs as possible, each will end up reevaluating their place with pack, wolf and each other.</p>
<p>**Written for round 3 of <a href="http://au-bigbang.livejournal.com/">au_bigbang</a></p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Author Notes: This is set in the same _LCIS Universe_ as [66 Pounds of Pressure](http://archiveofourown.org/works/249619/chapters/385901), but is a stand alone story with different characters. And an extra special thank you to my beta, lunarraine!!

 

"He's mad that trusts in the tameness of a wolf ..."

\--King Lear, Shakespeare

Part One

_Body dump at Flare Construction site. Female shifter abducted three days ago. Sherwood pack alpha's daughter-in-law._

Don checked the text one more time, clipped the phone onto his belt and got out of the SUV. Adjusting his sunglasses to deal with the glare of the early morning sun, he surveyed the construction site that had become his crime scene. Already, it was a hive of activity.

Besides his own team, there was another pair of LCIS investigators, forensics techs, local Detectives, patrolman and a handful of construction workers crowded toward the edge. Not to mention the curiosity seekers and reporters hovering right up against the tape.

Automatically, Don searched out his people and found them easily, despite the commotion and press of bodies. David, notebook in hand and all-business expression firmly in place, was talking to the local LEOs. Megan had a couple of construction workers pulled aside, presumably those who'd found the body. Colby in his honey brown fur slunk quietly around in his wolf form using preternatural senses to seek out minute clues too small to be picked up by the crime labs fancy equipment.

To an outsider, it might look like a finely honed team. An efficient group automatically dividing up the labor. But Don was looking closer. There was no eye contact between them. No subtle body language or small gestures communicating silently with each other. Each went about their job expertly and professionally as a group of individuals who happened to be working together on the same case.

That would be fine for another team. One that wasn't an MCRT. One that wasn't a pack. Don's pack.

He'd seen it, with other MCRTs around the country. He'd worked with one memorable team in Virginia when he'd been teaching at Quantico. At first glance, they'd seemed like a hodge-podge of opposites and conflicting personalities. But they'd worked together so smoothly they seemed to be reading each other's minds.

Don knew part of the problem was the flux of wolves in and out of his pack since he'd moved back to LA and taken over the team. First, the majority of the old pack had requested transfers when their old alpha retired. Then the previous Assistant Director had replaced them by plopping David onto his team to keep tabs on Don. That had worked out alright, though. Sinclair had shown his loyalty was to the job and to getting things done right. In hadn't taking long for Don to accept him into the pack.

Then Terry had left, forcing David to become Don's beta. A role he wasn't comfortable with. The addition of Megan and Colby had done nothing to make the team feel more cohesive. Both were smart and competent assets to the team but they were each reserved and aloof, in their own ways.

Even after months of working together, that was all they did. Work together. And run together three nights each month. They hadn't even attempted to cultivate that close-knit atmosphere.

As alpha, Don knew it was his fault. The packs strength had to come from him. His own attitude set the tone. His own detachment made it easier for the others to hold onto theirs. It was his responsibilities to fix it. He just didn't have the first clue how to do it.

David caught sight of him, said a few more words to the patrolman in front of him then headed over.

"What have we got?" Don asked.

David opened his notebook and flipped a few pages. "The victim is a member of the Sherwood pack. Dr. Sandra Leigh. Her husband is Ethan Leigh, oldest son of the alpha and considered the alpha-in-waiting. She was kidnapped three days ago by a masked man with a gun while jogging with a friend."

"Man? Not a wolf?"

David shrugged then glanced toward the LCIS pair still talking to the LEOs "Gates and Brown were on the original case. Said the friend was human and couldn't tell by scent. The path is popular and well used and they couldn't get a clear scent, either."

"Why weren't we called in for the kidnapping?"

"We were in court testifying on the Albert case."

"Right. What else?"

"Body temp and smell suggests she was killed this morning. Somewhere else then dumped here. The construction workers found her around 6:15 when they started showing up for work."

Don glanced at the covered body. Wide open dirt all around it. There were lots of nooks and crannies the killer could have tucked into. There was plenty of digging equipment. A wooded area with a pond was only a few miles away.

"He wanted the body to be found. Why?"

David gave another shrug but looked as disgusted as Don felt.

"Because he's a sick son-of-a-bitch."

The voice rumbled over Don's shoulder and he spun, hand on weapon before his eyes landed on the man who'd spoken.

"Ian Edgerton. What the hell are you doing in my city?"

"Same old, same old. Chasing monsters."

They shook hands and leaned in for a one armed hug. Don knew most wolves, in general, were uncomfortable around Ian. As a Changeling, he should have been less powerful than most natural shifters. The fact that he put off an aura that could cow most alphas made everyone a little nervous. Which was the reason why Edgerton had been packless since he was seventeen.

Don, though, was comfortable with his own place and power. Ian was an asset and a good man. He was always grateful for the help when the sniper showed up.

"You know who did this?"

"Yeah. The bastard wants them to be found because he's not just torturing the victim, he's torturing the whole pack. That begins in earnest when they know exactly what's happened to their pack mate."

 

#

Ian sat on the desk of the briefing room, one leg swinging while he waited. At another table, Don and Megan flipped through the initial crime scene photos as they waited for the rest the team.

Charlie was the first one off the elevator, though, and Ian felt his lips twitch a little at the sight. Tweed jacket over faded t-shirt, curly hair unruly around the handsome face, he had his full bottom lip caught between his teeth and a lost look, as if he hadn't been to LCIS field office dozens of times before. Don's little brother was a mass of contradictions. Part brilliant, confident and celebrated professor. Part lost and naive little kid.

Both parts tugged at Ian in a way that nothing else had in a long, long time.

Which was why he took such pleasure in needling the younger Eppes. Ian liked to make the younger man think, instead of blithely assuming he knew everything. He liked to keep him a little off balance. Liked to see him blush and stutter and drop those long lashes in confusion when Ian subtly flirted.

Unfortunately, that was as far as Ian would indulge himself. Charlie was Don's brother and he respected the alpha too much to mess with his family. The Professor Eppes was _not_ a one night stand type and Ian didn't sleep in the same bed two nights in a row. A man who perpetually lived out of a single knapsack didn't make permanent connections.

Especially a lone wolf who didn't exactly have a choice in the matter. Not many alphas were comfortable with Ian. Don was one of the few who didn't try to hurry Ian out of his territory as quickly as he could. But he was sure the alpha didn't want him to linger, either. And he most certainly wouldn't want Ian touching his little brother.

So Ian schooled his features into the studied boredom that gave nothing away while he watched the sexy movement of Charlie's lithe body maneuver through the maze of desks in the bull pen. Just because he didn't intend to touch, didn't mean he couldn't watch the pretty show.

"Don." Charlie called out to his brother before he'd even entered the room, struggling to pull the strap of his messenger bag over his head as he sidled his way through the door. "Sorry, I didn't text back right away, but I was in a class and had my phone off--" He stopped mid-sentence when his gaze collided with Ian's. "Agent Edgerton. I didn't know you were on this case."

The mathematician sounded a little breathless, though it was more likely from his struggle with the strap than with Ian's presence, a wolf could enjoy the ambiguity.

Ian dropped off the desk and let his lips twitch up into a half smirk and his eyes narrow a little in a considering rake over Charlie. Right on cue, soft pink stained pale cheeks.  "It's nice to see you again, too, Professor."

"Uh, so, um, what's the case?" Dark eyes flicked over Ian quickly before shifting toward his brother.

"Ian's going to brief everyone on it once Colby and David get back."

The sound of the elevator doors open again, over the din of the bullpen and Ian caught the scent of the two other pack members approaching. "They're coming."

Don glanced through the glass wall and nodded in satisfaction as he watched Sinclair and Granger enter the room, closing the sound-proof door to give the group some privacy. To Ian, it seemed the alpha's eyes were a little more intense but then he shifted back and rolled his shoulders.

"Alright, Ian, you've got the floor," Don said, once everyone was settled. "Tell us what we're looking at."

He flipped open the first case file but didn't bother to glance at it. He'd memorized the details when he'd first got the case.

"Eleven years ago, Eliza Core was kidnapped. She was the wife of a small-town pack alpha. Ten days later, her body was found in a ravine two hundred yards behind her own house. Forensics showed she'd been kept alive but beaten and tortured for three days before being strangled and dumped."

"Sounds familiar," Sinclair murmured through clenched teeth, looking at the photos still scattered on the table.

"It's going to get downright repetitive. No arrest was made. The killer had managed to mask his scent and was smart enough not to leave any clue or trail to follow. Six months later, the daughter of the beta of a neighboring pack disappeared. She was found dead a few days later."

"Same MO?" Granger asked, though it was more a statement than a question.

"Yes."

"How many, total?" Megan asked, her voice hitching a little, though her face remained impassive.

"Two more in New York City, from two separate packs. The adopted son of an enforcer and then a single female pack member three months later. A year after, in Chicago, a soccer mom was the first victim. Six weeks after her body was found, a nineteen year old boy from another Chicago pack was snatched from an over/under club. He somehow managed to escape from his kidnapper and provide enough information for the Chicago LCIS agents to capture the abductor."

He plucked the mug shot from another file folder and stuck it to the white-board behind him.

"Percy Devon. Twelve years ago, he was a member of a small pack in Vermont. According to people who knew him, he was always a little odd and no one was really surprised when he went rogue and beat up his mate. Needless to say she left and pressed charges. He served six months. His pack repudiated and exiled him."

"Vermont? The pack of the first victim?"

"Exactly. The pack of the second victim was the pack his ex-mate married after she left him. After that, he apparently just got a taste for murder."

"But if this guy's in jail, he can't be our guy," David said.

"Except he escaped during transfer five months ago. Chicago put twenty-four hours surveillance on the survivor of the last attack and his whole pack. But three weeks after the escape, another pack in Chicago lost a member. She turned up several days later, dead, with Devon's signature all over the scene. Then he just dropped off the grid. The original FRT assigned couldn't find a trace and I was called in a week ago. When I heard about the missing person case here, it sounded like my man."

David tapped his pen against his lips. "I get the alpha's mate from his old pack, to punish them for repudiating him. But why the beta's daughter? Why not his ex? Or her new husband if he wanted to torture her? Why all the random pack members in other places?"

"He's a serial killer," Colby said from next to the beta. "Once he got a taste for all out murder, his purpose shifted. He saw something in the others that reminded him of that first kill."

Ian hesitated. What he'd discovered hadn't been mentioned in any of the reports he'd seen. No one else thought it was important but he'd learned to listen to his gut a long time ago. And if anyone was open to out of the box thinking, it was this team.

"It might be more than that. Every pack that lost a member to Devon before he went to prison is now, for all intents and purposes, defunct."

"Huh?"

"Why??"

"Heart of the pack." Even with his preternatural hearing, Ian almost missed Don's murmur.

He smirked at the alpha. "You've worked with Gibbs and his pack too, huh?"

"Once, when I was instructing at Quantico. His team is something else."

"What are you two talking about?" Colby asked

Ian crossed his arms and leaned back against the desk, dipping his head to give the floor to Don.

"There's an alpha in Virginia who believes every successful pack has a 'heart' that rest of the pack rallies around. It's what holds them together and keeps them from disintegrating."

"Of course, Marvell."

Charlie's excited shout immediately drew Ian's attention. He was shuffling through his bag with that frantic energy and the bright eyed grin that said something brilliant and incomprehensible was about to come out of his mouth. Ian's shoulders actually relaxed for the first time in days as he hopped up on the desk and got ready to enjoy the show.

 

#

Numbers and equations were already flashing through his brain as Charlie rummaged in his bag for a spare piece of paper and a pen to capture it. Half forgotten theorems and equations popped and bubbled up from his subconscious, already coming together in plans on how to best help Don and the team.

"You mean Marvell's lynch-pin theory?" Megan asked.

"Yes. Exactly." All those numbers and theories spilled out of his mouth until he ran out of breath.

When he glanced around at the blank, lost faces of Don and his team, Charlie sighed a little, knowing he was going to have to find a way to explain the math so they'd understand what he was trying to do.

Unable to help himself, Charlie's gaze flickered, then lingered, on Agent Edgerton. The man was loose limbed and relaxed sitting on the desk across the room. Instead of looking lost and confused by Charlie's rambling, he looked indulgent, amused and something else that Charlie tried really hard not to think about.

He dropped his eyes to the pad and began scribbling out the string of thoughts zipping through his head as he took a moment to regroup.

Ian Edgerton was sexy as sin. All predatory grace, sharp features and exotic looks. But it was always those dark eyes that made Charlie's heart pound and his body heat.

They had an intensity, a focus that made him wonder what it would be like to have all that attention riveted on him.

Of course, that was never going to happen. Even if Edgerton could be interested in a math geek, Charlie would never risk it. He'd been abandoned enough in his life that he wouldn't intentionally get involved with someone who'd be gone as soon as the case was over.

Even if he was crazy enough to risk his heart that way, the sniper had made it clear the first time they met what he thought of Charlie. At best, he considered him a naive scholar stuck in his academic ivory tower. Thought he lacked real world experience. He was more right than Charlie wanted to admit.

They had managed to find common ground, however, the last couple of cases, and even managed to work surprisingly well together. Despite that, Charlie knew that the gorgeous agent wasn't interested in a mathematician beyond how he could help solve a case. The lone shifter was not someone to allow himself to have a pathetic crush on.

"I studied the Marvell theory in undergrad but I don't remember there being much math." Megan was saying next him as he finished his calculation and pulled his meandering thoughts back from fruitless wandering.

Charlie looked over and smiled at her. Before he could say a word, she held up her hand and sighed with exaggeration.

"Wait, I know this one. Everything's math, right?" She laughed and flashed a dimple at him.

"Exactly."

"Okay, but what exactly is Marvo's pin theory?" Colby asked.

"Marvell's lynch-pin theory. In the 1920s, Rene Marvell posited that packs with a positive lynch-pin thrived. Those with a negative or no lynch-pin would fall apart within a generation."

"Lynch-pin?" David asked.

Megan answered as Charlie struggled to find the words to translate the mathematical theory to the real world.

"It's a wolf that touches the lives of every other member of the pack in some way on a regular basis."

"Like an alpha?"

"Surprisingly, no. Alphas see the big picture and are focused on protecting and preserving the pack as a whole. Betas, by nature, protect and support the alpha." Megan shook her head as she spoke. "No, usually it's someone who has only a small impact on each individual but a somewhat consistent one. In a way, they tie the pack together with seemingly inconsequential interaction. If they are a positive one, that is. A negative lynch-pin actually drives small wedges between pack members. A pack with no lynch-pin often just drifts apart."

The team listened but looked somewhat skeptical so Charlie jumped in. "Imagine an old engine with tons of gears and pistons and moving parts. If a good mechanic oils and maintains it with care on a regular basis, it could keep running indefinitely. If someone who didn't know what they were doing came in regularly and banged on it with a hammer, used the wrong oil, and moved parts around, it would break down pretty quickly. If no mechanic touched it at all, it would simply wear out and stop working after a while."

He moved to the white-board and started scribbling numbers and symbol as fast as he could.

"Duncan Lawry did a series of studies in the 60s trying to disprove the theory. Instead, he came up with a set of equations to help identify a lynch-pin and determine whether their net effect was positive or negative." Charlie stepped back and pointed at the white-board. "For our purposes, if I can get enough data about local packs, I can narrow down the most likely targets."

"Okay, that's great Charlie," Don stood up and moved towards the door. "Megan, why don't you see if you can get the information Charlie needs and help him narrow it down for us. Colby and David, follow up with re-interviewing the victim's pack and running down any leads forensics turn up. Ian, why don't you and I head out to the abduction site and see if we can pick up anything the original investigating team missed."

Edgerton gave a short nod and hopped down off the desk to follow Don, Colby and David out of the room. The sniper paused at the door and glanced back.

"Nice work, Professor. Good hunting." Then he was gone, the sound-proof door swinging shut behind him, thankfully, before Charlie's heart started hammering in his ears and his breath caught for a second in the aftermath of Ian's intensity.

Megan gave him a small smile but didn't say a word as she started gathering the detailed information they were going to need to find the answers they were looking for.

#

By seven, Charlie found himself alone in the garage parsing through the data by himself. Megan was amazing at getting all the information he needed. Once he started talking about the math, however, she gave him that tight look and laughed a little, looking completely lost. Eventually, he'd gathered everything up and brought it back to the house.

It was at times like this he really missed Amita and Larry. Not only their help in setting up the algorithms and programs and research. He missed the companionship and the ability to bounce ideas off of someone who understood. At least, he knew that Larry was coming back. He had a couple of months of training in Houston then four months on the International Space Station. In six months, he'd have his best friend back. In the meantime, there was always the phone and email. At least until liftoff.

Amita, on the other hand, was gone for good. Charlie had known he was moving too slow. But old fears were hard to get past. In his experience, people he allowed himself to care about left, one way or another.

Don had practically disappeared from his life for a few years after he joined the LCIS. Susan Berry had chosen education and career over their relationship. His mother... well, it may not have been her choice, but she was gone from his life now, as well.

Still, he had gotten past his hesitation and had thought they were moving forward, getting closer when the offer from Harvard had come. He knew he shouldn't be disappointed that Amita had chosen a once-in-a-lifetime job over a relationship that had barely begun. Especially when Charlie was the one who'd been so hesitant going in. He was though. When she'd told him she was moving all the way across the country and that she didn't think she could handle a long-distance relationship, he'd been crushed.

Thankfully, he'd made it back to the privacy of his office before the anxiety attack had left him breathless and gasping.

The sound of Don calling out to announce his arrival pulled Charlie back from the depressing spiral thoughts of Amita always led to and he dropped the chalk. Wiping his hands on his jeans as he went, Charlie headed into the house only to stop abruptly when he realized his brother wasn't alone.

"Don," he acknowledged with a careful nod. "Agent Edgerton."

The taller agent rolled his eyes at Charlie's formal tone.

"Did I hear the bellowing of my eldest son?" Their father clattered down the stairs and stopped on the bottom riser when he caught sight of the guest. "Oh. Hello."

"Ian, this is my father, Alan Eppes. Dad, this is Ian Edgerton. He's working this case with us. I'm sure you've heard us talk about him."

"Of course. It's nice to meet you, Agent Edgerton." He stepped forward and shook the lone shifter's hand. Charlie had to give his father credit. His eyes only widened a fraction when he got a hint of the powerful aura practically bursting out of Ian. Most wolves flinched a little when they first felt it.

"Call me, Ian, please."

Charlie didn't miss the way dark eyes and an amused smile slipped in his direction when he spoke.

"Only if you call me Alan." He cleared his throat and tugged at the waistband of his pants. "Have you boys eaten yet? I was just about to call in an order to Romano's."

Fifteen minutes later, Charlie found himself in the kitchen, gathering plates and utensils while his father cleared the table and Don ran to the local restaurant for their takeout order.

"You know, you can call me Ian, too."

Charlie gasped and fumbled the forks he'd been gathering, biting back the curse at the damn sniper's ninja stealth. The words had been whispered practically in his ear. Warm breath ghosted along his cheek, a strong shoulder pressed into his when he would have sworn Ian was on the other side of the room.

"I. Yeah. Okay. Ian."

The sniper chuckled. He still stood so close that Charlie could feel the vibration of Ian's amusement all along his arm. He held his breath, knowing it was unintentional and that he was crazy for not wanting to move away. Not even the fraction that breathing caused.

"Dinner's here."

The slamming door and Don's shout broke the spell over him. Charlie scrambled to gather the rest of the silverware before hurrying out to the table. He was acutely aware of Ian sauntering out behind him with a handful of plates and resisted the urge to keep glancing over his shoulders.

As they dug into the delicious food, Don and Ian talked about procedure and leads and Charlie tuned them out, allowing the numbers he'd been working with to dance through his mind.

"With the full moon coming up, we have a little breathing room. He's never taken anyone when he'd keep them over the full moon. It's doubtful he'll try to abduct anyone until it starts waning."

"Good. That'll give Charlie time to figure out the most likely targets. You're welcome to run with us, while you're in town."

"That would be nice. I don't get to run with others very often."

Charlie thought about Ian's uniqueness and other wolves' response to it. He doubted the lone shifter got invited to run with other packs often. Most alphas would be threatened by his power. And too many wolves were tradition bound and short-sighted enough to consider an unusually strong Changeling wolf a freak.

"...Dad runs with us sometimes, but Charlie never does."

Don speaking his name pulled Charlie's attention back to the conversation only to realize Ian was studying him with a frown. When his brother and father got up to clear the dishes, Ian asked, "Who do you run with?"

"Ah, CalSci has a small park set aside for shifters. I run there."

"Is there a university pack?"

"Not really. Some of the students form pseudo-packs that serve as surrogates during the semester when they are away from home. I don't run with any of the students though. Even in wolf form, I have to keep a certain level of distance and propriety. Sometimes, Larry comes out and watches. He's human though, so he doesn't really run. Usually, he just stargazes and ruminates on the cosmos."

Ian's brows came down and he leaned forward but Don came back. Whatever Ian was going to say was left unsaid.

 

#

Charlie escaped back to the solitude of the garage as soon as he could. But the inspiration that had gripped him earlier had disintegrated. There were still too many packs on the list he'd generated for Don and his team to effectively to protect them all.

Like New York and Chicago, Los Angeles had a multitude of packs crammed into a relatively small geographical area. They ranged from small, team packs like Don's MCRT, to the medium sized neighborhood pack they'd belonged to when he was a kid.  Then there were the large, prominent multi-generational packs that could trace their roots in an area for decades.

Percy Devon had attacked indiscriminately all types of packs. Charlie knew there was a reason he'd chosen specific packs. He just didn't know what that reason was. Yet.

He was missing something critical.

After an hour of frustration, he dug out his cell phone and punched in a familiar number.

"'lo?" The voice answered with a sleepy slur and Charlie winced as he glanced at the clock.

"Sorry, Larry. I didn't realize what time it was. Or think about the fact that it was even later in Houston."

"It's alright. I wasn't sleeping very well anyway. It's surprisingly more difficult than I'd anticipated, re-adjusting to sleeping in an actual bed."

Charlie couldn't help chuckling at the disgruntled admission.

"You wouldn't think it was funny if you weren't already used to living on caffeine and the energy generated by your own thoughts." A yawn punctuated his point. "I assume you had an important reason for calling me."

"It's a case I'm working on for Don. I'm stuck and I was hoping to bounce some ideas off of you. Like we use to."

He didn't intend to sound so wistful but the words came out breathy and pathetic.

"I'm sorry that I had to leave so soon after Amita's abrupt departure from your life. If I could have convinced NASA to postpone the launch, be assured I would have."

"I know Larry. It's fine. It's just. Don and his team like my help, but they have no idea what I'm talking about most of the time. It sort of feels like I'm trapped in a foreign country and no one speaks my language."

"Alright, Charles. Tell me about the case and what you're trying to do."

Charlie dove in, talking at a fast pace as he filled Larry in on the current crime and the information that Edgerton had shared about the previous crimes.

"Agent Edgerton? The same one from the sniper thing last year? And the drug company case?"

"Yes. The case where you flirted with Megan by reading that chemist's manifesto."

"I was not flirting with Megan. I was engaging in intellectual discourse on a topic of mutual interest."

"And then you took her to lunch."

"Regardless of my own romantic entanglements, we were talking about yours."

Charlie froze, trying to still his expression even though Larry couldn't see him. "What are you talking about? I'm not involved with anyone right now."

"Which is exactly the problem. It took you years to gather the courage and ambition to approach Amita romantically. When she chose Harvard, a job, I might add, few of us would have turned down, you closed yourself off even tighter from any emotional relationships."

Something sharp and electric zipped through him, leaving an ache in its path. Impatient and unwilling to explore those still recent wounds, he asked, "What does any of that have to do with the case I'm working on."

"Nothing, really. But it does have to do with a certain handsome LCIS agent. And the way you looked at him whenever you thought no one was watching."

"Agent Edgerton? I admit, aesthetically he's very attractive. But he's not even a colleague. I barely even know him."

"Huh. I remember things a bit differently. Like the fact you complained incessantly about his dismissal of your mathematical models on the sniper case. Or the way you spent two weeks trying to quantify his tracking methods when you returned from Sibley. I have to tell you, I think Amita was more than a little jealous of your crush on the man."

"Crush?" He tried to laugh but the sound came out too high and forced to fool anyone. "Even if I did have... even if I were attracted to him that way, he's not interested in me."

The man _had_ pressed closed to him in the kitchen. The intense way he always looked at Charlie with a mixture of amusement and heat... it didn't mean anything.

"I beg to differ, Charles. He watched you as much as you watched him when we celebrated the close of the case. Only he didn't bother to hide it. And he treated you with a combination of respect and irreverence that I'd be hard put to describe as anything other than flirtatious." Larry paused, no doubt to let the significance of his words sink in. "Then, of course, there's the whole lone wolf thing. All very romantic, if teen movies are to be believed."

"It's not romantic at all." Anger burst inside of Charlie. He didn't know the details of Ian's life. Maybe no one did. But he knew enough to ache for the wolf.

"Do you know what a Changeling is, Larry?"

"Ah. It's a human who is changed into a wolf shifter either by choice or by being attacked."

"One of the marks of a Changeling is that they are... less than a natural wolf. Slower, weaker, they have less developed senses and instincts. They smell different. More human." He paused and took a deep breath. "Edgerton is a Changeling. Everyone knows it because they can smell it on him. But he has an alpha's aura."

"An alpha's what?"

"It's hard to explain. Wolves gravitate to a hierarchy. The more powerful a shifter is, the more others can feel it. When we meet an alpha we know it. Often, beta's have an aura, as well. Ian feels like an alpha. One who could easily take over most packs he encounters."

"And this is bad?"

"Not bad exactly. Different. And like humans, there are a lot of narrow-minded wolves who don't like different. Alphas wouldn't want him in there territory because they know they can't win a challenge from him. Other wolves don't know how to treat him. He's a _Changeling._ Someone who would normally be at the bottom of the hierarchy. But he's so powerful, he makes you want to bare your throat to him."

"I see. So the two of you have more in common than I thought."

That stopped Charlie's anger and frustration in its tracks.

"Both of you have extraordinary gifts that set you apart from others. Both of you have lived without pack for a long time. Both of you deserve to take a little happiness wherever you can find it."

"I don't... I mean, I run with the..."

"Don't Charlie. You may have everyone else fooled but I know you. You let the wolves at CalSci think your part of your brother's pack. You let your brother and father think you're part of a pack at school. In the meantime, you pour all of your energy into your work."

Charlie wanted to deny it, but there was no point. And Larry didn't really give him time to, either.

"I realize you're concerned because Agent Edgerton is a transitory figure in your life. Perhaps that's exactly what you need. No pressure to paralyze you with the need for perfection. No long term planning of a relationship like it's some sort of chess game you need to plan several moves ahead. Just something simple. Two compatible people finding pleasure with each other. No expectations beyond the moment."

"I don't know."

But he did. He wanted it. Except, could he handle temporary? Could he enjoy something if he knew it held a finite deadline? Or would he worry too much about the end to enjoy the moment? Wasn't that exactly what he'd done with Amita? Plotted out all the outcomes before taking that first step. Perhaps, if he'd plunged in they'd have had something stronger and more defined when the Harvard offer came along. Perhaps she would have stayed. Or he would have gone with her.

"Charlie, don't let your past or fear of the unknown hold you back. Just because something didn't work out before, doesn't mean something equally good won't work out in the future. As my grandfather use to say, 'If a fish gets away, put your hook in the water. Another one will be by any minute.'"

Everything froze inside of Charlie, his brain jumping track in a split second. "What did you just say?"

"I said--"

"Never mind. That's it. Thank you, Larry. That's exactly what I was missing."

He hung up the phone, though his mentor was still talking, and raced to his chalkboard. The previous conversation forgotten as numbers swam through his brain like a school of fish.

 

#

Don had spent the morning watching his brother eagerly explain his latest genius breakthrough. There was Power Point and math and arm waving and talking so fast he didn't even try to keep up.

It all boiled down to the fact that most packs had other members who could step in and take up the role of lynch-pin. The loss might rock the pack for awhile but they'd recover. Devon somehow figured out what packs didn't have a backup. Which packs he could destroy. Somehow, Don doubted he was using math. Unfortunately, bastards like this seemed to have an innate instinct for how to inflict the maximum amount of damage.

Charlie had managed to narrow it down to the three packs and the individual within each one most likely to be the lynch-pin. Much easier to protect than the dozen or so packs they'd been looking at yesterday. Surveillance teams and protective details had been dispatched to the most likely targets, leaving Don's team free to continue looking for leads and capable of responding quickly if Devon was spotted. Now, he was scouring through the case file, trying to find an angle they hadn't explored yet.

Something heavy landed on his desk and Don looked up to find Ian sitting on it.

"We have chairs, you know."

"I like being up high. Better vantage point. It's a sniper thing."

Don rolled his eyes. "What can I do for you?"

"Actually, it's what you can do for you. You should invite Charlie to run with your pack on the full moon."

Frowning, Don glanced over to Colby's cubicle were Charlie was explaining something with extravagant hand waving.

"Charlie is part of that pack at school. He doesn't want to run with us."

"Wrong. Charlie runs in the same park at the same time. You're a wolf. And an alpha. Use your nose. Does he smell like he belongs to a pack?"

He turned and inhaled deep, filtering through the intervening scents. His frowned deepened, pulling at the skin on his forehead. Ian was right. Other than the scents of Don's own pack and their father, Charlie didn't smell like any other wolves at all. There were a few human scents, most likely students and other faculty. But he didn't smell like pack. He smelled the way a loner did.

Before he could figure out what it meant, Ian stood up and headed for one of the sound proof briefing rooms. Don figured he'd better follow.

As soon as the door closed behind them, Ian leaned against the wall and shook his head.

"I don't need any fancy math to tell me the heart of your pack isn't even officially part of it."

The sniper stared over Don's shoulder as he spoke and Don twisted to see that his gaze focused on Colby's cubicle. Where Charlie was now scribbling something on a piece of paper as David looked over his shoulder.

"What? Charlie?"

"I've been here two days. He and Megan were thick as thieves talking about the lynch-pin studies. And Fleinhardt. He took the time to set up some fancy thing to help David find a better apartment more efficiently. And he and Colby were just hip deep in a conversation about some online game."

Ian paused and refocused his eyes on Don. "Not to mention, he puts in a ton of effort to cut down on your workload." His eyes shifted back to stare through the glass and something predatory glinted in Ian's eyes as he watched Charlie. Suspicion bloomed full force as Don watched Ian watch his brother. Somehow, interfering in Charlie's potential sex life seemed easier to deal with than contemplating the idea of Charlie in his pack.

"Are you thinking about hitting on my brother?"

The infuriating smirk returned and Ian leaned back, crossing his ankles as he let the glass behind him take his weight.

"Not gonna' lie. Your brother is gorgeous and the hyper-genius thing is kind of hot."

Don sputtered at the thought of someone thinking his little brother was sexy. Then he narrowed his eyes and took a step forward. He and Charlie may have had a rocky relationship for a while but it was starting to smooth out and he wasn't going to let anyone mess with a member of his family.

"You better be careful. He hasn't exactly had it easy and I won't be gentle on the next person who hurts him."

The smirk softened slightly and Ian gave him an almost imperceptible nod. "Don't worry. I'll make it clear what I'm offering. If I don't think he can handle it, I'll walk away."

Then he unwound himself from the wall and sauntered out to the bullpen to join the conversation at Colby's desk.

Don sank down into one of the chairs and dropped his head into his hand. He loved his brother. But he'd spent his whole childhood having his life revolve around Charlie's. He liked working with his brother, liked that they were finally finding common ground. But asking for his help on the occasional case was one thing. Making him part of the pack, of _Don's_ pack, was another. It meant inviting Charlie fully into his life again and he wasn't sure he was ready for that.

On the other hand, a heart, a lynch-pin, might be exactly what his team needed to finally become a true pack. As alpha, it was his responsibility to put the pack first.

#

Charlie started in surprise when Don slipped into the elevator with him right before the doors closed. He hadn't seen his brother since the briefing, when the alpha had disappeared into a soundproof room with Ian. Eventually, the lone shifter had rejoined the group gathered around Colby's desk but there'd been no sign of Don for the past hour.

Awkward silence engulfed the small space for a second as both men stared straight ahead. Finally, Don sighed and ran a hand over his hair.

"You should join us for the moon run next week."

Charlie blinked at his older brother, an instant _yes_ on the tip of his tongue. They hadn't run together since they were kids and frolicking under the full moon had been one of the few times they'd managed to connect when they were younger. Charlie couldn't remember the last time he'd actually run _with_ anyone. Interacted and connected with other wolves the way his instincts craved.

Then he took in the rigid way Don's muscles stood out starkly under his skin, the way he still stared straight ahead and the wide bracing stance. He had no idea why Don was extending the invitation now but it was obvious his brother wasn't exactly comfortable with the idea.

Uncertain and off-kilter, Charlie reached forward, pushed a button to get the elevator moving and gave himself a moment to breathe. Then he fell back on his standard answer. "I, uh, run with some of the other wolves at CalSci."

Don finally turned, giving Charlie a hard look and crossing his arms with implacable fierceness. "Why did you lie to me, Charlie? You're not part of a pack anywhere. You may run at CalSci, but you run alone, don't you?"

Embarrassment and dread had him feeling backed into a corner, then anger burned through and chased everything else out.

"I didn't lie to you." The words exploded out with emotion suppressed for two years. "You never asked. You assumed. I just didn't correct you."

"Charlie..." Don's arms dropped and his hands reached out, palms up to highlight his 'be reasonable' older brother tone. A tone Charlie had heard way too much growing up.

"Why do you even care, Don?" The shout echoed through the small elevator as the door opened to a small crowd of the bored and mildly curious waiting around the elevator banks in the lobby.

Don grabbed his arm and didn't stop moving until they were outside in a quiet corner of the cement walkway.

His older brother sighed and let go of Charlie. "I want you to run with us."

Even Charlie's seldom used senses could smell the stress and discomfort, hear the grinding of teeth and see the tension vibrating off the alpha.

"No. You don't." He tried hard to keep emotion out of it. Just state it matter-of-factly. "I see how hard you're working to pull your pack together. You'll already have one outsider to deal with. Two if dad goes along. You don't need another."

"Charlie..."

"No. Don. You haven't asked in the two years you've been back." Suddenly he realized why Don and Ian had disappeared together earlier. Why they were having this conversation now. "It didn't even occur to you, until Ian said something, did it?"

The way Don's eyes slid away to watch the coming and going of the main door told Charlie he was right and that his brother was embarrassed and uncomfortable.

"I have to go. I have a class to get to."

He started to walk away but a tentative hand on his shoulder stopped him. Don took a deep breath and exhaled slowly, some of the tension draining out of his stance.

"I'd like you to come, Charlie. I think it would be good for all of us."

There was sincerity and a slight vulnerability in the tone. Something Don very rarely let slip through. Still, Charlie didn't want to set himself up for disappointment.

"I. I'll think about it, Don."


	2. Chapter 2

 

Part Two

After a long, fruitless day of running down dead-end leads Don had decided crashing with his father and Charlie was a good idea. The house was more central to the three target packs. And chances were good his father had the game on and cold beer in the fridge. It didn't surprise him when Ian followed him home without a word.

It did surprise him a little that, after greeting his father, the sniper declined the beer and headed straight to the garage.

Alan stared at the retreating back before pinning Don with a confused look. "What's that all about?"

Don took the beer out of his father's hand and dropped back on the couch. "Your guess is as good as mine, Dad. I'm starting to think I don't have a clue what is actually going on around me."

He took a long pull off the beer bottle and stared at the television. The silence stretched and he tried to relax into the rhythm of the action on the screen. But he couldn't ignore the itch of irritation.

"Did you know Charlie is a loner?"

"What? No. He's part of the pack at school." His forehead wrinkled as he stared at Don. "Isn't he?"

"Nope. I had to hear it from Ian. I don't know if Charlie told him or if he figured it out on his own. Probably figured it out. He's freaky that way."

"He is a unique wolf."

Don snorted his beer a little as he laughed. "Unique. That's one word for it. The first time I met him I didn't know whether to bare my teeth or bare my throat. He's a little unsettling to be around until you get use to him."

"I'll say," his father muttered. Then he cleared his throat and spoke a little louder. "He seems like a good man, though."

"He's one of the best at LCIS. There isn't anyone I would rather have helping out on a case like this."

Silence filled the room again for awhile as the men watched the game in companionable silence until the next commercial break interrupted the action.

"I asked him to join the pack for the full moon." Don said, hoping to get some advice from his father without actually asking for it.

The older man frowned at him, eyebrows drawn in confusion. "Who? Ian? You mentioned that last night."

"No. Well, him to. But Charlie. I asked Charlie to run with us."

"And what did he say?"

"He said he'd think about it." Don sighed and dropped his head back and let it rest against the top of the couch. "I don't get it. Why would he let us think he had a pack? I mean you're a loner now. Sort of."

"Except that I run with you and your pack fairly regularly. Charlie... Charlie feels like he was a bother growing up. All the extra you mother and I had to do for him. The separation when he was at Princeton. The stuff of yours we had to miss. He tries very hard not to be a burden now. Tries not to trample too much in your territory. He likes working with you. But I think he's afraid of pushing too far and having you retreat from his life again."

Don groaned at the tone of disapproval. "I explained that. Working fugitive recovery, it's easy to lose track..."

He trailed off at the look of disbelief. They both knew it was an excuse. The truth was, it had been nice to escape for awhile. To just be Don Eppes, LCIS agent. Not Alan's son. Not Charlie's brother.

"So I screwed up back then." He admitted, lifting his head to focus on the TV and the game that had resumed. "Just like I'm screwing up now. I can't communicate with my brother. I can't connect with my pack. Especially not--" Don cut off the fleeting image of blond hair, hazel eyes, broad shoulders. He'd shared more than enough that evening. Some things he wasn't even ready to admit to himself.

A glance at his father told him he hadn't fooled the older shifter but that lecture could wait.

"Don't worry about your brother. The two of you have made more strides in the past year than I ever expected. You'll get there at your own pace. As for your pack, when was the last time you did anything together?"

He raised an eyebrow and gave a half-laugh. "Dad. We work together every day."

"Bah. Work. When's the last time you talked to each other. Joked. Relaxed."

Don tried to think. Even when they ran together, the play was restrained. Almost an expectation rather than expression of joy.

"Why don't you invite them over tonight?"

"They're off duty, Dad. They don't want to hang out with their boss."

"Off duty. Right. Like you're off duty. That will be the only beer you touch tonight while you wait for a call. They're probably all at home doing the exact same thing. Alone. There's no reason why they can't come over here and watch the game. Eat a little Chinese. Bond." He stood up, looking at Don's still half-full beer for emphasis. "Call them. It can't hurt to ask."

#

Charlie wasn't actually doing anything with the equations but double and triple checking them. Trying to look from different angles and perspectives to see if there was anything that he'd missed. Anything that could further narrow down Devon's target or his time line.

"Hard at work again, Professor Eppes?"

His heart kicked into a higher frequency when the sound of Ian's voice snapped the silence. Charlie whirled to find Ian leaning against a wall. The tight t-shirt and well-worn jeans clinging to the lean frame did nothing to help him get his heartbeat or his breath back under control. He turned back to stare sightlessly at the chalkboard, knowing that Ian could hear and scent his reaction and not wanting to see the knowing smirk he was sure graced the agent's face.

"Don says you haven't given him an answer."

Charlie thought about pretending he didn't know what Ian was talking about. But the agent was a bulldog, tenacious enough to have recovered every fugitive he'd gone after. One way or another. Waffling wasn't going to get him anywhere and he was too tired to play games.

"Yeah, well, I'm not sure it's such a great idea. We're actually getting along lately. I don't want to push it."

Silence dragged and Charlie started to think maybe the sniper had snuck back out as quietly as he'd come in.

Then an arm snaked around his body, fingers splayed to press flat against Charlie's stomach. Instinct overrode intellect and he tilted his head back to rest against the strong shoulder. Ian stepped in even closer until he was pressed from chest to thigh against Charlie's back.

Charlie's brain murmured to him to tense, to move away but his body melted against the heat and the strength cradling him.

Ian's lips brushed, hot and smooth, against delicate skin when he whispered into Charlie's ear.

"You're touch starved. You're wound tight and your wolf is begging to be set free. When was the last time you really let go on a full moon?"

"I told you, I run every full moon at the CalSci park." He rasped, his voice less sure and confident than he'd intended.

"But do you play? Do you engage and touch and share? Or do you hold yourself back? Stand aloof and observe? Calculate and compartmentalize?"

"I'm a professor. Can't really get close with students. Only a handful of other faculty or staff are wolves and they all have local packs. I'm not really close to any wolves." He sighed. Aching in a way he'd ignored for years. Ian's fingers stroked over his stomach and, even through the thin fabric of the t-shirt, it soothed something deep inside Charlie that he'd been ignoring for years.

The heat of Ian, pressed tight all along his back, warmed and melted the icy shields he'd been carrying for as long as he could remember.

"Come play with me on the full moon, Charlie. Run with your father and your brother. Be a wolf again." The words vibrated against his skin, setting off echoing shutters through his body.

"I-I want to." More than anything, he wanted to. Now that the flood gates had been opened, he knew he'd never get them closed again. Never be able to ignore the touch-hunger or stuff the craving to run and play and connect back underneath the veneer of civility and academia.

"Hey, Charlie. Ian. You guys want Chinese or Mexican?" Don's voice, followed by the quickly approaching sound of his footsteps ripped Charlie back into the here and now.

He tensed and wriggled trying to put some space between him and the taut body behind him. Ian chuckled and took a smooth step away. For a second, however, his hand remained pressed against Charlie's stomach. Its heat felt like it branded him, marked him forever.

Then it was gone and Don was in the room waving menus and Ian stood two yards away looking calm and completely unaffected.

Charlie, however, might never be the same again.

#

The living room was crowded and saturated with restrained quiet. Only the sounds of the game on TV and the occasional shifting body filtered through the silence.

Don had been surprised when all three of his team members had quickly accepted his invitation. His father had just harrumphed and gave him the patented Alan Eppes's father-knows-best look.

Somehow, he'd ended up on the couch crushed between Megan on one side and the solid, sleek bulk of Colby pressed tightly against him on the other. Don fiddled with a soda to keep his hands and his mind from wandering into dangerous territory as he tried to think of something to break the awkward silence.

The sound of Megan's voice was a relief when it broke into the oppressive atmosphere.

"Charlie, have you talked to Larry recently?"

"Yes. Yes I have. Last night, in fact." The fast paced patter and audible relief in Charlie's voice made Don smile a little. Apparently, he wasn't the only one feeling uncomfortable. Next to him, Colby trembled a little bit. When Don glanced over, his face was impassive but the faint crinkling around his eyes betrayed the fact that he was stifling laughter.

"He sounded well. Have you talked to him?"

"Last week. We're sticking to the every other Friday schedule."

As the two chatted about Fleinhardt's adventures in Houston, David, Ian and his dad began to chatter about the Angel's chances, Don felt himself relax as the tightness drained out of the room.

He glanced over and, for a split-second, something dark and desperate splashed through Colby's eyes. Then he blinked and whatever he'd thought he'd seen was gone. In its place was the familiar, easy-going smile.

By the time dinner arrived and they were crowded elbow to elbow around the table, the atmosphere had completely changed. Teasing and laughter filled the space where awkward silence had been.

"C'mon." Colby was saying. "I can't be the only one who thinks Megan and Fleinhardt is weird?"

"Why? Which one of us do you think is out of their league?" Megan's voice held a hint of warning but there was more laughter than danger.

"It's not that. You're so down to earth and grounded. He's so, so..." He threw his hands up in the air, nearly poking Charlie with a chopstick as he talked. "Out there. All that talk about the cosmos and quantum stuff."

"Haven't you heard that opposites attract, Colby?" David asked, using the distraction to reach across and steal one of the fortune cookies Megan was hoarding in front of her. She tried to spear him with a chopstick but he evaded her neatly.

"Actually--" Charlie started to speak but was cut off by a chorus of _NO!_

"No lectures on the math of magnetic charges. No physics, biology or chemistry lessons until after dessert please," Don told his brother, laughing at the pout that pulled at his lips.

Charlie brightened a second later. "There's dessert?"

"Sure. Fortune cookies. You just have to brave Megan's aim to get one."

She held up the bamboo sticks and clicked them together menacingly.

David cracked open his cookie and pulled out the thin strip of paper. " _Resting well is as important as hard work_ ," he read, rolling his eyes. "Someone should tell our boss."

"Well, the full moon's only a few days away. If Devon doesn't try something tonight or tomorrow, we may have a chance to rest." Don settled back into his chair and enjoyed the way his team laughed and played together. "So far, he hasn't taken anyone when he'd have to keep them during the full moon."

Megan sobered a little a picked up her own cookie. "I don't think we'll get that rest.  He was escalating his timeline before he was caught. Prison put him behind on whatever sick schedule he was following. Since he escaped, he's taken just enough time to stalk his victims before grabbing them. No doubt, he already knows who his next target is. He'll want to get 'em as soon as possible so he can move on to the next hunting ground. It's just a matter of him picking his opportunity."

"Opportunity," Charlie muttered. The inflection was distant and distracted. Don had learned to recognize that tone and waited quietly while his brother worked through the maze of genius in his brain.

"Megan. Tell me about the abduction sites and circumstances again."

"Uh, well. Whenever possible he likes to leave witnesses who can't identify him. Most like to increase the frustration of the pack."

Before she finished speaking, Charlie was on his feet and heading for the garage Ian on his heels. Don pushed back and hurried to catch up, the rest of the team following.

In the garage, Charlie was muttering to himself and flipping through the itineraries of the target packs.

"Here." He pushed the page at Don, who barely glanced down before his brother was talking again. "The Lafayette pack is having a masquerade tomorrow night. A room full of witnesses who won't see a thing. A nightmare for your surveillance guys to keep track of the target or spot Devon. And if he takes a victim tomorrow. He'll have his three days before the full moon."

Don nodded as his brother talked. His gut churned, telling him Charlie was on the right path.

"Looks like we're going to a party tomorrow, guys." He glanced up at the grim, nodding faces of his team.

Then he thought about the conversation he'd had with Charlie in the elevator that morning and the one he'd had with his father tonight. He reached out, gripping his brother's shoulder tight.

"Good work, Charlie. Thanks."

#

Ian was tucked into a nice shadowed corner of the balcony circling the upper level of the Lafayette's ballroom. The prominent pack was a wealthy and old, tracing its roots back to fifteenth century French royalty.

The ballroom was huge, and from his perch, the sniper had a clear view of the party below. Directly across from him a huge, crystal chandelier dangled over the festivities and illuminated everything below. Which meant that no one looking up would see Ian in the shadows. Or the sniper rifle, loaded with silver, perched on the balcony's railing.

Below, on the dance floor level, a handful of wall sconces threw light and shadows around the edges of the room. In one of those darker corners, Sinclair was positioned in a non-descript suit, looking like one of the dozen other members of the pack security team stationed around the room.

Megan, dressed as Juliet in a golden half-mask and dark wig, moved casually through the party like all the other guests. Ian smirked a little at the way she impatiently tugged at her layered skirts when she thought no one was watching. He knew she hated the way the costume restricted her movement. He also knew the seemingly harmless reticule dangling from her wrist held a small caliber gun and a silver dagger.

Making the rounds with a tray of canapes, Colby looked like any of the multitude of waiters in his crisp white shirt and black vest. The blond smirked a little when he passed the figure in tight silver knee breeches and lacy flowing jacket. The silver mask concealed all but the slightly frowning lips. The ridiculous floppy black hat covered the hair and shadowed the face even more.

Ian felt his own lips twitch a little at seeing Don Eppes, stoic alpha and MCRT leader, dressed like a nineteenth century fop. He hadn't been happy to be the one to take Daniel Lafayette's place at the party as the trap lure but he'd been closest in size and coloring. Of course, Daniel hadn't been happy about sitting out the party but the pack alpha wasn't going to allow his youngest son to be bait just so he could dance and socialize.

Charlie, thankfully, was at home with his father, working on a Millennium project or something. Ian had never been distracted by anything on a job before but he wasn't quite sure he was willing to risk it in Charlie's presence this time.

He'd been teasing Don, more than anything else, when he'd suggested he might pursue Charlie. He'd fully intended to keep his hands off the younger Eppes. Until he'd found himself with an armful of mathematician. The younger wolf had been warm and lithe and pliant from the first moment of Ian's touch. The heady scent of Charlie's arousal had wrapped itself around him. The easy, uncharacteristic way the professor had melted against him and given implicit trust, had made Ian _want_ in a way he hadn't in a very long time.

He wasn't just looking for a quick easing of touch hunger and release of sensual tension. Ian wanted to be the one to show Charlie it wasn't only his wolf that needed to let loose. The man did too.

A movement in the crowd below pulled his attention and he shifted up on his rifle. He'd watched enough events from vantage points exactly like this to know every crowd had its own pattern of movement. Charlie probably had some fancy name for it.

But something, someone, was moving against that flow. Through his scope, he zeroed in on a dark cloaked figure. Ian rolled his eyes when he saw the half-mask was a stylized death head. Typical. Devon probably thought he was clever. Ian just thought he was predictable.

"I've got eyes on a possible. Black cloak. Skull half mask." He kept his voice low as he spoke into the radio.

"Of course." Don muttered back, dipping his head a little to disguise the movement of his lips.

"I see him. He's heading for Don." Megan said. "There are too many bodies between us for me to intercept. I'll cover the north entrance."

"I can't get through either. I've got the south door covered." David said and Ian saw he was already moving.

"It'll take me a minute to get close enough," Colby's voice was tight. "Don, try to keep out of reach until I'm close enough to back you up."

Ian refocused on the figure and realized he'd moved fast. "Watch out Don, he's taking a wide arc to come around behind you."

#

Don focused on not fidgeting in the uncomfortable, tight fitting costume. He and Daniel may have similar builds but the younger shifter was definitely smaller.

Rolling shoulders itching at the restraint of unforgiving fabric, he scanned the crowd looking for the approaching threat. Ian's vantage point was better, though. Don couldn't see past the first couple of dancers in front of him.

"Watch out Don, he's taking a wide arc to come around behind you."

The words hissed in his ear and his adrenaline jumped and settled his mind into a ready calm as his body prepared for anything that came his way. He was an alpha and LCIS agent and this was his forte. Shifting his weight, Don used all of his senses trying to locate his prey. But the heavy press of bodies all around him made it impossible.

"Don, he's on your six."

Ian never sounded excited or worried but there was definitely urgency in his voice.  The alpha started to turn instinctively at the warning but a pin prick pierced his shoulder before he could get all the way around. A trickle of ice flowed through the muscle and started to spread quickly.

Devon's triumphant smile fell under the reaper mask, eyes comically wide when Don unsteadily finished the turn and fully faced his would-be attacker.

"You're not Daniel," the bastard took a shocked step back, glancing around him like some kind of practical joke was being played on him.

Don let his mouth stretch into a feral smile, baring his teeth in threat. "No. I'm not. But you are done, Devon."

The alpha took a step forward. Or tried to. Dizziness washed through him and he stumbled, lurching a little sideways. Whatever he'd been stuck with, obviously the bastard had been smart enough to doctor it to affect a wolf and it was already working. Devon reached beneath his voluminous robe and pulled out something shiny and cylindrical.

"Gun," Don managed to slur into his radio. "He's got a gun."

The warning was too late though, as the reaper now a blur of black and white in Don's vision raised his arm and fired several shots into the chandelier.

The room went dark, except for the dull glow of the wall sconces and the crowd exploded into screams and frantic stampeding as sharp crystal shards rained down.

Distantly, he could hear voices in his head.

"Don't have a shot..."

"Close..."

"Crowd is too dense..."

His name called over and over again, above the din of the crowd. But he couldn't draw enough focus to answer. His wavering attention was riveted on the gun coming down to point at him. It was slow motion but still he couldn't seem to get out of its way. Couldn't fumble his own weapon from the hidden pocket of the layered coat.

Then a weight collided with him. Heavy warmth followed him to the ground as another sharp retort echoed around them, slicing into the floor where he'd stood a moment before. He looked up into the face of Colby. Beautiful Colby.

The blond shifter was talking to him but he couldn't follow the words. Instead he took every bit of concentration he had left to lift his hand and brush it over the smooth skin and soft lips inches from his own face. The words stopped and the former Ranger froze. Or perhaps the whole world froze because the sounds faded away and darkness edge into his vision until consciousness left him completely.

#

Two hours later, Don leaned heavily against the elevator wall as he headed up to the bullpen at LCIS headquarters. Alone, he gave himself the luxury of weakness and exhaustion. The digital numbers climbed, however, until he had to take a deep breath and push away from the supporting metal.

The doors slid silently open on the quiet, dark bullpen. It was nearly midnight and only a handful of LCIS agents were illuminated here and there by their cubicle lights. His senses were still a little bit fuzzy but mostly he was back to normal.

The ER doctor said he'd been given a sedative laced with just enough silver to keep him out of it for an hour or so. They'd wanted to hold him overnight for observation but there was no way he could be stuck in an institutional room when Percy Devon was out there somewhere.

From the break room, he could hear the soft sound of David's voice and headed towards it. He stopped abruptly when he heard Colby answering the beta's question. The last few minutes of consciousness before waking up in the hospital were fuzzy and distorted. The one clear image he held onto, however, was Colby's hazel eyes looking down at him with concern.

And the brief stroke of his own fingers over the smooth skin of the younger agent. He would have to find away to convince Granger that it had been the drug. Of course it was the drug. Better yet, he'd pretend it never happened.

"You did good, tonight, Colby. Protecting the alpha."

Don could hear the tightness in David's voice. An anger that belied his words.

"I was closer. I didn't do anything that you wouldn't have done." Colby's voice held a stress of its own as he spoke. From Don's vantage point, he could see the way Colby stared at his hands, a faraway look shuttering his eyes and he didn't think it had anything to do with the tension radiating off of the beta.

"Besides, the bastard got away."

"Yeah, past me."

Colby's head popped up at the anger and self-depreciation in David's voice.

"And past an entire ring of experienced agents. While a couple hundred shifters and humans were stampeding out of that ballroom. They found his robe and mask ditched in the corner. Who knows what he looked like when he left."

"I'm the beta. It was my job to protect the alpha. Barring that, I should have caught his attacker."

"Is that what this is all about? You think you failed as beta?"

"I think you'd be a better one."

Colby looked stunned at that and silence hung between them so long, Don was starting to wonder if he should interfere.

"I'm not a beta. I'm strong and fast and physical. But a beta needs to be smart and good with people. I'm not a leader. I've been in three packs my entire life. My home pack, my military special forces pack and this one. I've always been a strong back somewhere in the middle of the hierarchy. I wouldn't know what to do as beta if it fell in my lap. I'm certainly not going to challenge you for it."

David stared at the younger shifter then exhaled slowly before most of the tension eased out of him and he settled into the chair a little more easily.

"You know, I didn't expect to be Don's beta. He didn't expect it either. The former Assistant Director was a Loner who felt very intimidated by Don when he transferred here. He forced me onto the team because I had a reputation as a by the books guy. He figured I'd either keep Eppes in line or tattle on him the first opportunity."

"Did you?"

"Well, I think you know the possibility of keeping him in line." They both laughed a little at that and Don's own lips twitched. "And he sure as hell wouldn't have invited me to join his pack if he couldn't trust me."

"So how did you become his beta?"

"Before you and Megan, the only constants on the team, the only pack he'd accepted, were me and Terry. She was his beta. But when she decided to try to make it work with her ex, it left just him and me. I sort of fell into beta by default. When you and Megan showed up, I figured it was only a matter of time until you challenged me. Considering your training and experience, I wasn't feeling too confident about defending my position."

"Ahh. That explains the attitude."

"Attitude?" He laughed and waved a hand toward himself. "Attitude? Who me?"

Both men laughed and the last of the stiffness drained out of the room. Don relaxed and eased back toward his own desk, letting the men have a few more minutes of bonding now that the strained relationship between them had eased. Hopefully it would translate to a more relaxed and unified pack.

"So, is that what alpha's do? Eavesdrop on their pack?" Of course Edgerton stood in the shadows twenty feet away.

"When they don't want to interrupt an important and private conversation? Yes."

"How are you? I saw you go down but you were already in the ambulance by the time I got to the ground."

"Fine. The drug should be completely out of my system in another hour or so. Can't believe I let the son-of-a-bitch get the drop on me like that."

"He was faster than I expected, too. And he's used to hunting in public places."

The elevator doors slid opened and Charlie rushed out, his heartbeat echoing loud enough that every shifter in the bullpen turned to look at him.

"Don! I got the call that you were at the hospital but by the time I got there, you'd already checked yourself out. Are you sure that's a good idea? The nurse I talked to seemed really disapproving."

"I'm fine, Charlie. Fine. I have a personal reason to get Percy Devon now. I wanted to get back here and start working on it. Even if he won't claim another victim until Monday now, I want to be ready."

Charlie's agitated chatter had drawn the rest of the pack to the bullpen. They were all gathered around, perching in chairs, on his desk or leaning against the bullpen divider.

"So what are we looking at Charlie?" Megan asked. "Will he go after Lafayette again? Or will he go after the secondary target, now?"

Charlie looked lost his hands sweeping wide. "I have no idea. The data has completely changed now."

"Heisenberg, again?" Don muttered.

Charlie smiled at him for remembering that bit of trivia from the bank heist case. The rest of the team looked vaguely confused but they'd all learned not to ask.

"After his miss and arrest in Chicago, they expected him to go back after the failed victim when he escaped. But he didn't. I did the math and very little had changed while he was incarcerated. He didn't go after the second or third choice, either. In fact, the second Chicago victim would have been well down on my top ten list."

"So, can you factor that in and create a new list?"

Charlie shook his head helplessly. "I don't have enough data. Once isn't a pattern."

"Alright," Don said, pushing his chair back and standing up. "Then we do this the old fashioned way. Tonight, we'll get some sleep. Tomorrow, during the day, we'll tear the city apart looking for Devon. Tomorrow night, we'll go to one of the LCIS secure parks and run."

He paused, took a deep breath and looked directly at his brother. "Are you joining us, Charlie?"

Charlie stared at him and Don could hear the up-kick in his heartbeat. For a second, dark eyes slipped away from Don to look beyond him. No doubt to where Ian was leaning behind him. He'd worry about that development later. Tomorrow. When he had more energy.

Charlie smiled shyly, still not looking at his brother. "Yeah. Yes. I'd like to run with you."

"Good. Then let's all get some sleep."

#

Charlie let his dad drive to the LCIS maintained nature preserve. Now that they'd arrived and he found his leg's rubbery and his hands quivering as he got out of the car in the gravel parking, he was very glad he did.

His nerves stretched tighter than he'd expected them to. It was only a moon run. With his father and brother. For the first time in years. Not to mention Don's entire pack.

And Ian.

Charlie sucked in a hard breath, fighting to keep his body and anxiety under control.

This wasn't high school. He wasn't some pre-teen geek trying desperately to fit in with his older brother's friends. He wasn't a nerd trying to catch the eye of the hot cheerleader. Or the popular quarterback.

"Dad. Charlie. Over here."

Charlie finally looked up and took in his surroundings. He recognized Don's car and Megan's as the two other vehicles already in the small lot. A high thick fence lay just beyond where the dirt and gravel became lush, green wilderness. A heavy gate stood open and he could see Ian, Don and his pack gathered around the pavilion and its picnic tables.

Charlie took another deep, steadying inhale and followed his father into the preserve. Don stood to meet them, clasping first Alan on the shoulder then Charlie.

"Glad you two could make it." When Don smiled, it was wide and real.

Charlie sagged a little though he tried not to show it. Seemed whatever reservations his brother had had about sharing the full moon with Charlie, he'd gotten over them.

"David, Colby, get the gate, please."

Once the preserve was secured and the last bright touch of twilight had faded, human forms began to shift all around him and he followed suit.

He'd forgotten how much he looked like a smaller version of Don in this form. They both shared their father's sable coat, with slightly longer fur that carried just a hint of curl. Although, Alan Eppes coat was now shot through with threads of silver, the family resemblance was unmistakable.

David, a sleek coffee colored wolf not much bigger Charlie, sauntered over and sat on Don's left. Just beyond them, the large honey brown wolf had to be Colby, which meant the delicate wolf several shades lighter had to be Megan.

Charlie turned his head slightly and saw the massive ebony wolf. Ian. Even in fur-form he belied expectations of a Changeling. He rivaled Don in size and obvious strength.

The sound of movement had him swinging back to see Don greeting his father, who'd dropped into a low sit and lowered his head. The younger alpha rubbed his muzzle along the graying one in a show of both respect and dominance. Then he paced the few feet to stop in front of Charlie.

In this form, the aura of the alpha was overwhelming. And it had been a long time since Charlie had been in the presence of a true alpha like this. His instincts took over and he dropped to the ground, rolling slightly onto his back. Don ran his muzzle along Charlie's neck biting very gently at his throat before moving on.

Charlie twisted back to his feet as soon as his brother's attention turned away.

Ian remained standing, stock still and unwavering as Don paced toward him. In human form, Charlie would have held his breath. Two alphas, so close in strength, meeting like this was always dangerous. Neither would want to bend. Neither would want to submit and give power to the other. If they could not find a compromise, chances were good there would be a challenge fight.

Charlie had no idea which wolf would win if they fought. Or which one he'd be rooting for.

As the two huge wolves faced off like twin statues, the moment and the tension stretched alarmingly. Then Ian slowly shifted his weight, sitting on his haunches. With deliberate grace, he turned his head, dropping his muzzle and his eyes only the smallest of fractions. It was enough, as Don, acutely aware of the dignity of the ebony wolf, shifted forward giving the lightest brushing of muzzle and teeth before turning and walking away.

Charlie hesitated, uncertain where to go or what to do. In theory, the first night of the full moon was all about reconnecting as a pack. Touching and being touched, learning scents. Playing. Building trust. Being a family in a very primal way.

But this pack... it wasn't close. Charlie wasn't really connected with any of them in order to need to reconnect. The uneasy way the other wolves shifted and eased back and forth, the scent of uncertainty that filtered through the air said the others felt the same way.

A nudge at his shoulder surprised him. Ian stood there, tongue lolling in canine amusement. There was a challenge in his eyes. A dare to let the wolf out. Let it play.

Something loosened inside Charlie. Something he'd kept tethered for more years than he could remember. It broke free, now, knowing he got to be part of a pack tonight and without knowing when, or if, he'd ever get the chance again.

So he yipped and pushed back at Ian, snapping his teeth so he just skimmed fur without hurting skin. Then he yipped at the ebony wolf again before tearing off in the opposite direction.

He glanced back as he ran in a circle around the surprised pack, checking to make sure that Ian was following.

Of course he was close, nipping at Charlie's heels. No doubt the big wolf could easily over take him if he chose. Instead, he was playing the game.

Charlie looked forward again in time to see a startled Megan. He yipped again and darted around the paler wolf to hunker down as if he could actually hide there. For a second she froze, looking over her shoulder at him, then she looked back up at Ian, slipping a little on the damp ground as he skidded to a halt.

Then she jumped to her feet. Nudged the ebony wolf enough to push him a little more off balance, then both she and Charlie started running. In opposite directions.

Soon the entire pack was involved in a free-for-all, canine version of tag. Or maybe it was keep away. They twisted together, nudged, ran at or away from each other until the air was filled with playful barks and growls.

As the night wore on, the play settled down into joyful runs under the trees and the moon's silvered light. Sometimes peeling off to hunt a rabbit or stray squirrel. By the deepest part of the night, they slowed and dropped together in a huddle of fur and limbs under the pavilion.

Ian plopped beside Charlie, larger body curled around his smaller one and rested his ebony muzzle over Charlie's neck. He let himself ease into the warmth of the body behind him and snuggle close. He'd never fit with anyone like this. Never was given the chance to. 


	3. Chapter 3

 

Part Three

Pre-dawn light slipped under Charlie's eyelids. For a moment the sea of varied color furs confused him as the sleep fog retreated. The faintest sound of movement caught his attention and he opened his eyes slightly wider.

The alpha was the only one stirring so far. Standing and stretching, the large dark wolf paused over the honey brown fur that rested next to him. Then he softly brushed his muzzle along the exposed neck before trotting away.

The move had been so quick, Charlie wondered if maybe he'd imagined it. Still tired, he closed his eyes and snuggled back into the warm fur and muscled body surrounding him.

The soft breath flicked through the fur of his ruff. The gentle, rhythmic movement soothed him like nothing he'd ever experienced before. Running last night had been pure joy and had exhausted him in the best possible way. Sleeping with Ian curled close and protective was comfortable, safe and relaxing. Charlie knew he could really get used to that feeling.

A cold chill of doubt shivered through him. Icy uncertainty sparking along his spine.

He couldn't get used to it. Shouldn't get used to it.

Who knew if Don would ever invite Charlie to run with his pack again? Even if he did, in a month, Ian would be long gone. Somewhere far away, tracking down another fugitive in some other corner of the world.

Getting use to contact like this was a bad idea. Wanting it, craving it, would drive him insane in a month when he was back to wandering the campus park alone. An observer rather than a participant.

He shifted slowly away but Ian came awake at the first sign of movement. He growled slightly and pressed down a little where his muzzle rested on Charlie's necked. Charlie froze, then squirmed but didn't actually try to move away.

Ian whined quietly then huffed a sigh and stood up, allowing Charlie to move as well. By the time he'd stretched and shook out his fur, the others were starting to stir as well.

It didn't take long before they all shifted back to human form and gathered around the picnic table, sharing the pastries and juice Alan had had the foresight to stash in the trunk. Charlie deliberately sat on the end of the bench, ushering his father to sit next to him as a buffer. Ian just quirked an eyebrow and sat down on the bench across from him without saying a word.

Don began to discuss the division of labor for the team to try to track down Devon. Charlie used the excuse of needing to grade papers to escape.

As he and his father walked back to the car, Charlie could feel Ian's heavy stare on his back. It took everything he had not to look back.

#

Rose gold rays of sunset splashed across the sky. Ian sat on top of the picnic table under the pavilion, feet resting on the bench while he waited for the full moon to rise for the second night. Megan and Don huddled together at another table, going over the fruitless leads they'd run down throughout the day and trying to figure out if there was anything they'd missed.

David and Colby had already shifted and run off to chase down a warren of rabbits the pack had discovered last night but hadn't bothered to pursue. The first night of the full moon was all about reconnecting. To the pack, to nature, to the moon. It was about feeding the wolf's need for contact and communion. It was about play and release and fun.

The second night was often more introspective. Where one looked inside, where closer, individual bonds were reinforced and where new ones were forged. As Ian sat, waiting for Charlie and Alan in the twilight, Ian tried to decide what type of night it was going to be for him. And for Charlie.

The night before, he had pushed the young wolf led him into games and chase and forced him to free the exuberance and the instincts Charlie usually kept locked down. It had been a joy to watch him unleashed for awhile. The type of pleasure that Ian didn't usually find in others.

He'd been a loner since he was sixteen years old. He'd found a home, of sorts, among the LCIS, if not a welcoming pack. He didn't spend too long in any one alpha's territory, so in turn he was reservedly welcomed for his skills, if nothing else. And among the packs, there was always one or two who were drawn to the false romance of the wounded hero who'd offer a somewhat warmer welcome. He let them keep their illusions and gave them the romance of a night while assuaging his own touch hunger and instinct to connect. A mutually beneficial transaction. They got the fantasy, he got connection without strings.

He may never spend two nights in the same place but he seldom suffered from the disconnect that other loners did.

It surprised him, a little, that with all of the family and friends that surrounded Professor Charles Eppes, he was more touch starved and disassociated than Ian had ever seen in a wolf. He'd gladly lured out the playful side, offered the touch and fun that the small dark wolf needed. 

But it was one thing to live without knowing what he was missing. It was much more frightening to be given a delicious taste of how things were suppose to be and have it snatched away again.

That was the terror he'd seen in Charlie's eyes that morning. The knowing of what could be and the fear that it could never happen again. He'd seen it in the way that the mathematician had pulled away from him. Seen it in the way Charlie did everything he could to avoid looking at or touching Ian and the way he'd practically run away from the preserve.

Of course, he had a right to be afraid. While Ian was sure it was only a matter of time until Don asked Charlie to join the pack, he couldn't guarantee it. What he could guarantee was that he would be gone as soon as this case was wrapped up. Wherever attraction and affection took them, it had a very definitive end.

Ian's contemplation came to end as the last rays glowed red and Alan Eppes's car pulled into the gravel lot.

Charlie froze half-way out of the car when he caught sight of Ian. Then his lips lifted in a fake, tortured smile before his gaze slipped away.

As the two men entered the preserve's gate, Alan stopped to greet Ian with a quick hand shake before moving on towards Don and Megan. Charlie gave a quick nod of acknowledgment without looking up as he followed his father. Ian's lips twitched and he let Charlie move a few feet past before speaking up.

"Hey, Professor. Can I talk to you for a second?"

Charlie stopped abruptly, foot raised in mid-step, eyes and mouth both wide as he obviously struggled to find a reason to avoid a conversation. But, for the first time Ian could remember, Dr. Charles Eppes seemed to be at a loss for words.

Don stared from his brother to Ian and back again.

"Hey, Dad. Megan and I were just talking about taking a run over to check out the pond. Want to come with?"

Catching on to the sudden tension, the older Eppes paused and looked around at each of them, a wrinkle of confusion on his forehead.

"Yeah. That sounds like fun."

"You two can get the gate, right?" Don gave Ian a narrow-eyed look of warning before adding, "And take care of my brother?"

Ian straightened, knowing the question went deeper. Whatever direction they went, he fully intended to make sure Charlie came out of it whole. "Absolutely."

The three wolves shifted and disappeared from the pavilion clearing.

Ian stood up and moved past the fidgeting scholar to close the gate. When he turned back from securing the preserve for the night, Charlie was seated at the table with his back to Ian and his head down.

He considered moving around to the opposite side but decided he could always give the guy space later. He plopped down on the bench, so close their legs pressed together.

"So, you're avoiding me."

"I'm not. I don't. There's no reason..."

Ian let him ramble until it was obvious he was too tangled up in his own words and thoughts to actually say anything.

"Yes. You are. You had fun last night. Now you're worried about what it means."

Charlie squeezed his eyes tight and Ian felt an unexpected little dip in his stomach at pushing. But a push was exactly what Charlie needed.

"Yes."

The answer was a soft whisper only a shifter would have heard.

Ian bit his cheek, knowing that he wasn't good with words and if he fucked this up, he'd fuck up Charlie for awhile.

"Do you want me to back off?"

The eyes opened in surprise. "No. I mean, I wasn't sure you were actually... or if you were..."

"I was. And I am. But I'm not going to be around for long."

The dark eyes dropped for a minute. Then his shoulders straightened and he looked back up with a new resolve. Honesty and fear and hope and longing shining out. "I know. That's the part that's scariest."

"Did you have fun last night?"

"Yeah. I haven't played like that in... I don't think I've ever played like that." He sighed and Ian couldn't help reaching out. Letting his fingers stroke carefully over the smooth skin and sharp cheekbone.

"Did you like falling asleep with me? Waking up with me? Did you like me touching you? Last night and before, in your garage?"

"Yes," a whispered breath of sound as Charlie leaned forward.

Ian met him, let his lips slant over the smaller man's mouth and took firm control of the kiss. He took it deep, but kept it slow. Stroking and caressing and coaxing Charlie. The only other touch was the resting of his fingertips on the mathematician's face.

When Charlie's own hand reached up to sink and tangle in Ian's hair, he accepted the surrender and reached out to pull the other man even closer. Slow became intense, exploring became a battle and a compulsion to enmesh themselves in each other.

Eventually, the desperation slowed, replaced with the need for air and Ian pulled back a little, letting his forehead rest on Charlie, curling his hand around the back of his neck and sinking it into silky curls.

Once they'd both caught their breath, Ian looked deep into dark eyes. "Are you sure this is okay? With me leaving eventually?"

He wanted this. Wanted Charlie. But he did not want to hurt him in the end.

"Yeah. Yeah. I think it is. I'll miss it, when you go. But I think knowing ahead of time that there's a deadline means I won't be blindsided. Won't be trying to figure out what I did wrong."

"Christ. Come here." His hands wrapped around Charlie and tugged him into his lap. "It won't be your fault. That's the last thing it will be. If there's one person I'd try to find a way to settle down for, it would be you."

He blinked at his own words, having no idea where they came from but knowing they were true all the same. Unfortunately, settling down wasn't in the cards for someone like him so Ian pushed the thought away and claimed that luscious mouth again. Let impossible dreams slip away and sank into the pleasure of the man in his arms.

#

Don waited until his father and Megan got distracted by something scuttling in the underbrush on the other side of the pond before he circled back to check on Charlie.

He trusted Ian with his life but this was his baby brother they were talking about. They'd seemed happy enough playing under the full moon but something had made Charlie edgy and skittish from the moment they woke up. Don needed to be sure his brother wasn't being pushed or made uncomfortable.

As soon as he caught sight of the two men, however, he stopped, hidden within the thicket of trees.

Seemed whatever the tension that had been straining between them since dawn, they'd managed to work it out.

A twig snapping had Don lunging to his left, teeth snapping millimeters from honey brown fur.

Colby sat statue still, head lowered and ears flat. Don backed up a couple of steps with a low growl rumbling in his throat to express his displeasure at having the young wolf sneak up on him.

Brown head turned away, a soft whine slipping out and Colby's body sank a little lower on his haunches at the reprimand.

Don huffed and stepped forward again, nudging the young wolf's shoulder with his own. Colby gave a small bark of pleasure, licked up at his alpha's muzzle then took off at a run. He stopped about a hundred yards up the trail and looked back over his shoulder in a clear invitation to play.

It was a bad idea. Don tried very hard not to spend too much time alone with the younger agent even if there were no fraternization regs at the LCIS. Wolf instincts and pack tradition made it impossible to legislate shifter relationships. But after Kim and Terry, Don had his own code.

His wolf, however, was not in the mood for common sense and the pull of the full moon made instincts stronger than logic. The sable wolf gave chase. After all, running with the younger wolf wasn't crossing any lines.

#

The blur of numbers and equations streaking through his head finally slowed to a trickle and Charlie squeezed the last few figures on the edge of the chalkboard. With a deep, satisfied breath, he released his death grip on the stub of chalk and took a step back to look at the afternoon's work.

A glance down at his watch had him swearing, however. He was late. Again. His father had agreed to pick him up at 6:00 from CalSci before heading to the preserve.

It was now 6:17 and it would take him a good ten minutes to trek all the way to the parking lot where they were suppose to meet.

"Fuck. Fuck. Fuck."

He chanted as he spun toward his desk, stuffing laptop and notes and books into his messenger bag in a haphazard fashion.

"Now, now, Professor. What kind of example are you setting for your students with language like that?"

Charlie nearly dropped his bag, laptop and all, when he jumped and twisted to see Ian leaning casually in the doorway.

Since the first case he'd work with Don for the LCIS, he'd seen dozens of fit, good looking agents slouch around in tight t-shirts and worn jeans. While he'd appreciated the aesthetics, none of them had made his heart kick like this. None of them had made him want to wrap himself around them. None of them had left him speechless let alone slowed his brain to a crawl.

Realizing from Ian's knowing smirk that he'd been staring and silent too long, Charlie blinked and cleared his throat.

"What are you doing here?" He winced at how abrupt that sounded. "I meant, I thought my father was coming to get me. Not that I'm not glad to see you..."

Ian laughed and took two long strides across the room. The bag disappeared from his hands and he was tugged off balance directly into the hard body. He tipped his head back and let his mouth be devoured.

Fever slammed through him and his whole body strained toward Ian. Wanting more. Needing more. _Craving_ more.

Then a sound from the hallway reminded Charlie where he was and Ian was already slowing the kiss to ease back.

It was gratifying to see that Ian was as breathless as he was when he finally broke the kiss.

"Your brother said he'd pick up your dad on the way, since he had the rest of the pack already piled into his SUV. Save him the trip to get you. And let you and I have a little more time alone."

Charlie's mouth went dry. "My brother knows about us?"

"Your brother is an alpha. However this whole pack-you-him thing shakes out, you're family. He's always going to know what's going on in your life. He knows. I don't know if he necessarily approves. But he doesn't object, so that's good enough for me." Ian eased back, putting a couple of inches of space between them and frowned at him. "Is that a problem for you?"

"No." Charlie shook his head vehemently. "Not a problem at all. Just a little surprised that he noticed, is all."

He shifted back into Ian's heat and let the agent lead him outside only to find the man's rental car parked in a no parking zone right outside of his office. Ian just grinned at the lifted eyebrow and waved at the prominent LCIS credentials displayed on the dash.

"Being LCIS has its perks."

The drive passed quicker than Charlie would have liked but they talked and laughed and Ian occasionally reached over and rested his hand on Charlie's knee. He shivered every time, wishing they were going somewhere private rather than back to the preserve to meet up with the entire pack.

The night before had been amazing and frustrating. They'd kissed and touched and pushed the envelope of decency as far as they dared, considering the entire pack was wandering around and there was no place comfortable or private to take shelter in. Tonight promised to be more of the same.

The SUV was already parked in the lot when they got there, but there was no sign of the others. It seemed they'd gotten tired of waiting and started to run without them. Which was just fine with Charlie.

And, apparently, with Ian as well. By the time Charlie got of the car, the sniper was around his side and crowding him up against the door.

 Ian's hands curled around Charlie's arms holding him in place in order to claim his mouth in a possessive kiss. The lone wolf shifted, bracketing Charlie's legs with his own and pressing their hips together. Charlie groaned in pleasure at the contact and sensation. Then Ian shifted his hip and Charlie groaned in pain as something dug into his side.

Unwilling to break the kiss, he reached between them and fumbled until he pulled Ian's cell phone free, tossing it into the open window behind him then wrapped his hand back around Ian's shoulders and sank his fingers into that dark hair.

The sound of footsteps wormed its way into Charlie's awareness even as Ian was slowing the kiss and pulling away enough for them to catch their breath.

Without looking up at the intruder, Ian asked, "What can we do for you, Agent Eppes?"

Surprise flushed across Charlie's cheeks and his head darted up to catch sight of his brother over Ian's shoulder.

The alpha stood with his thumbs tucked into his pockets, concern and curiosity flicked across his face before it settled into amusement.

"Sun's going down. Came out to close the gate and secure the preserve. Thought I'd check to see if you two wanted to join us?"

Ian smiled down at Charlie, not a hint of blush gracing his dusky skin the way Charlie knew his own face had to be rivaling the red of the sunset.

"I suppose we should be moseying in."

Ian shifted back putting an appropriate amount of space between them. But as they headed into the preserve, Ian kept a warm broad hand planted firmly in the small of Charlie's back.

#

Don woke up for the third morning in a row wrapped around sleek muscles and brown fur. For the third morning, he got up stealthily and loped away without waking Colby, despite the protest of his inner wolf. The man knew nothing good could come of the urge to snuggle close and stay with the younger wolf.

Instead, he watched the sun rise over the preserve alone and waited for his pack and family to wake. Soon, the sky was bright and the noise of his pack shifting and milling around drew him back to the pavilion. His father had brought pastries and juice again. Don would have given anything for a tall cup of black coffee at the moment but he settled for the sugar rush of frosting and filling, instead.

Ian and Charlie sat close, touching and looking without saying a word. Don knew that was probably not going to end well. Ian would be moving on and Charlie got attached too quickly. Unlike Don, who knew enough to move on before he got in too deep.

Still, the sniper had promised to be careful with his brother and things between Don and Charlie were still a little edgy. He wasn't going to say or do anything to rock the boat. He just resolved to be as supportive as he knew how to be, after. Of course, supportive wasn't exactly his forte, but he'd do his best.

The shrill ring of his cell interrupted his bleak thoughts with a sound that told him the call was coming from the LCIS HQ. He dug it out and flipped it open in one, quick motion.

"Eppes."

As he listened to the fast-talking agent on the other end, he stood and paced. Glancing at his watch and calculating traffic conditions this time in the morning answered, "We'll be there in forty-five minutes. Keep your eyes peeled and two agents on Matson at all times."

He clicked the phone off and turned back to the picnic table, gratified to see his team already in motion.

"Devon was spotted outside the Cambell's running ground ten minutes ago." He glanced at Charlie. "Evelyn Matson is part of that pack. You identified her as the second most likely target, right?"

"Yes. But Don, that doesn't make sense."

"Yeah, Charlie, welcome to the world rogue wolf psychos. They don't always make sense."

"My model predicts that he would _not_ go after any of the original possible targets."

"Charlie, you said yourself that with only the Chicago data, you couldn't really predict what he'd do when he failed to get Lafayette."

His brother bit his lip but eventually nodded with reluctance. Ian moved closer to Charlie, whispering something as he handed over the keys to his rental. Don headed for the SUV, the rest of the pack falling in behind him.

#

Charlie sank his teeth into his lip to keep from babbling. Don was right. He didn't have enough data to say Chicago wasn't an anomaly. But something about this didn't jive with what he knew. He had to get home and work through the data he did have again.

A warm hand on his back jarred him from the path of numbers his mind had jumped on automatically. Ian moved around in front of him and handing him the keys with the other hand.

"You and your dad take my rental."

Charlie took the keys numbly, looking up at the agent.

"Be careful, okay?" The words slipped out and Charlie winced at the ridiculousness of the sentiment. Ian was a trained LCIS agent who was used to tracking fugitive wolves and violent criminals.

But Ian just smiled and said, "As careful as I usually am."

Charlie forced a smile. "Why don't I find that all that reassuring?"

Ian chuckled and slid his fingers along Charlie's jaw, tilting it up for a slow, gentle kiss.

Shock slipped through him. While they hadn't exactly been discreet, they also hadn't been openly touching in front of the pack. Surprise gave way to pleasure and the kiss lingered until the sound of the SUV's door slamming pulled Ian's attention away.

The sniper caressed his cheek one last time before walking away without a word.

"Charlie, you want to help me here?" His father's question pulled his attention from the retreating figure and he went back to help his father clear the remains of breakfast. He could feel Alan's concerned, questioning gaze on him but he ignored. This was a conversation that he had no intention of having with his father.

By the time they were done, the SUV was gone leaving only the rental car in the gravel lot. Charlie saw Ian's cell phone as soon as he got into the car.

He stroked the smooth plastic smiling a little as he remembered how it ended up on the seat. Of course, if they succeeded in catching Devon today, Ian would probably be gone tonight and they wouldn't ever get a chance to move beyond scorching kisses.

"Charlie? Are we going to head home anytime soon?" His father eyed him oddly and he startled a little to realize how long he'd been staring at the phone.

Sighing, he tucked the phone into the inside pocket of his jacket then started the car. If Ian wanted his phone back, then at least Charlie would get to see him one more time.

The drive back to his house was short and he did his best to keep up his end of the conversation with his father but it was a relief when they pulled into the driveway. The elder Eppes headed in to open the door while Charlie took his time to gather his computer bag and his thoughts.

He moved to the trunk and popped it to get his things. He stretched to grab the strap, dragged it out and was reaching to close the trunk when something cold and cylindrical pressed against his neck.

"Well, well Professor Eppes. It's a pleasure to meet you."

Charlie froze at the chillingly monotone voice speaking in his ear.

"Why don't you go ahead and drop that computer right back in the trunk and move away from the car."

The bag hit the bottom with a thunk that made Charlie wince, grateful he'd remembered to back up his work. Then he took a careful step back, hands rising instinctively as the gun continued to press hard against the back of his neck.

"Charlie? Are you coming in or you going to stay outside and brood all day?"

His heart kicked up as he heard his father coming back toward the door.

"No. Dad." He caught his breath, trying to project calm he definitely wasn't feeling. "I'll be in soon. Don't bother coming out here. I just need a minute..."

But it was too late. His dad stepped out the door and froze at the sight of Charlie and the fugitive.

"Mr. Eppes," Devon greeted smoothly, still in that tone completely devoid of emotion. "So sorry to cause a scene but I have to borrow your son."

The gun prodded him and Devon spoke to Charlie once more. "Why don't you go ahead and dump your cell phone in the trunk, too? We wouldn't want anyone using the GPS to track us, now would we?"

Charlie reached into the outside pocket of his jacket and complied with the command. Behind him, the pressure of the weapon eased and he could hear his would-be abductor fiddling with something in his own pocket. Charlie took a chance.

"Dad, get hold of Don. Tell him to call Ian..." A sharp stinging prick followed by an icy river of cold in his back stopped him mid-sentence. He could feel it seep quickly through his body. Already making it difficult to focus on the words he'd been trying to say. For the first time, the monster behind him showed a little emotion.

"Yes, Mr. Eppes. Do call your son." Amusement laced his words as he moved closer to steady Charlie's already swaying body. "He won't find the professor until I want him to but it will be fun to watch them frantically try."

Charlie tried to speak, to give his father more but the black closed over his eyes and his mind and he was gone.

#

Don drove with control despite the high speed and the urgency he felt to get to the Cambell's land. They were nearly there when Don's phoned toned again. Not the shrill sound of a work call but the lower hum he'd set to identify his father's call.

He frowned and reached over to push the hand's free button. "Dad, now really isn't a good time--"

"He took Charlie," Alan Eppes talked over him, his panic vibrating right through the phone. "He shoved him in a van and took him."

In the passenger seat, Ian went rigid as Don tried to figure out what the hell his father was talking about.

"Whoa. Who took Charlie? Where? When?"

"I don't know. Some guy. I walked out of the house and he had Charlie at gunpoint. Made him leave his laptop and phone. Then he stabbed him with a syringe and dragged him off when he passed out."

"Devon," he muttered, his hands tightening on the wheel in frustration. It seemed impossible yet there was no other explanation.

"Devon? The brutal serial killer you've been trying not to let me hear anything about?" His father's voice got higher and shriller and Don could hear the older man struggling for breath.

Beside him, Ian was snarling at the phone and Don had to wonder if, on top of everything else, he'd have to deal with a feral wolf. Not that he didn't understand completely. The thought of his brother in the hands of that sick son-of-a-bitch...

Instead of following that horrifying train of thought, Don focused on calming his father down and getting as much information as possible out of him.

"Did the guy say anything when he took Charlie?"

"He said he needed to 'borrow' Charlie. And he said you wouldn't find him until he wanted you to but it would be fun watching you try. That was after Charlie told me to call you."

"Charlie _told_ you to call me?"

His brother had to know that was the first thing Alan would do. Don felt in his gut that there had to be a reason why. He ignored the possibility Charlie could already have been feeling the effects of the drug and the simple knowledge that his brother babbled when he panicked.

"What _exactly_ did Charlie say?"

"He said to get hold of you. And to tell you to call Ian."

He frowned harder, lips pinching in frustration. "That doesn't make any sense. He knew Ian was with me."

"My phone." Ian spoke for the first time since Don had answered the phone, his voice was raw and gravel filled. "We... I left it in the car. If he has it on him and Devon doesn't know..."

Don glanced into the rear-view mirror to give an order but David was already on the phone asking for the trace while nudging Colby in silent communication. The younger agent had his phone out as well and a second later, Don heard him asking for units to be sent to the Eppes's family home.

"Dad. Take a deep breath." He could hear the older man nearly hyperventilating on the other end of the line. He needed to give him something else to think about. "There's a protective detail and a forensic unit on their way. Don't touch anything until they get there. I'm going to find Charlie."

"Okay. Yeah." His father sighed deeply, calmer. "Get your brother back."

"I will."

He hung up the phone and looked over at Ian. The man's jaw was locked so tight, Don's teeth ached in sympathy. The eyes were hidden by dark glasses and the rest of his face completely lacked expression but the anger radiated in palpable waves.

"You alright?"

"Fine." The answer was smooth and calm and empty, sounding very like Ian when he was lining up a shot. Don figured that was as much as he was going to get out of him at the moment.

"Got it." David announced pulling the attention of everyone in the car as he rattled off coordinates.

Ian punched the numbers into the GPS and Megan immediately jumped on calling for back up at the location. Colby made a complicated gesture at her and Don heard her say what he was thinking as well. "No one approaches until we get there. Create a perimeter and don't let anyone in or out."

The part of Don not frozen with terror over Charlie was proud of the way his pack was finally working like a team. Reading each other and thinking in sync.

Don took the less than legal U-turn way to fast and raced back to save his brother. And show the bastard who had him why it was a bad idea to mess with an Eppes. Or his pack.

#

Charlie woke up groggy and disoriented. He was on a hard stone floor. The walls were blank, dark and dingy in the small square room. The only window was a sliding one set high up in the single door.

He blinked the haziness from his eyes and the last few minutes in the driveway came back to him. His heart kicked into high gear as adrenaline fueled by fear rushed through him. He forced himself to think around the chemicals of panic and residual drug moving sluggishly through his mind and body.

If Don's experience was anything to go by, he'd probably been out for about an hour. He didn't pat his jacket pocket, in case he was being watched. He could still feel the reassuring weight of the Ian's phone in and he didn't want to give away its existence. Instead, he calmed himself by calculating how far they could have traveled and how far away Don likely was when he found out about the abduction, Charlie figured he'd have to try to stall for awhile before Ian and Don got there.

That is, if his dad hadn't been too upset to pass on the message completely. And that Don or Ian figured out he had the phone and they could trace it.

"Professor Eppes. So good to see you're awake."

Charlie scrambled backward, curling into a corner in an instinctive move to protect himself as much as possible. The voice came through the now open window in the heavy door and a pair of cold eyes stared at him. The dead flat look made Charlie shiver.

"Relax. You're safe. For a while yet, anyway. It will take another hour for the sedative effect to completely clear your system. Wouldn't want the fun to start until you can fully appreciate it. I think I'll start with the silver knife. Shallow cuts..."

Devon described step-by-step the myriad of ways a shifter body could be hurt with a sick pleasure. Charlie closed his eyes and dropped his head trying to drown out the horrifying images that Devon was painting with graphic stomach-twisting detail.

He held his tongue as long as he could but Charlie couldn't stand it after a few minutes and tried desperately to change the subject.

"Why me?" It came out as a childish whine and he didn't care. "I mean, why did you pick me? You normally kidnap a pack's lynch-pin. I don't even belong to a pack."

The laugh was chilling as it echoed through the door. "It's amazing what one can see on the internet, these days. When your brother interfered with my last project, I started doing a little research. He gets called in on high profile cases. The kind that get lots of media attention. And what I saw surprised me. It's public record that you're not part of his pack. But every time you're on scene, every member of his pack touches you in some way. A hand on the shoulder, a fist bump, a ruffling of hair, a light punch. And when you're around they work better. Lighter. I've never seen anything like it. Not a member of the pack, yet what binds them together. I knew you had to be my next project."

Charlie blinked in surprise. It wasn't possible, of course. He was a nuisance to his brother and a necessary evil to the team. They put up with him for his skills. It took Ian's observation to even get him an invitation to run on the full moon.

But the man was crazy and _he_ believed it. Trying to convince him otherwise would be futile. Before Charlie could figure out what to do next, a deep, reverberating alarm started to gong through the building.

"Impossible. They couldn't have found us. No one has ever found my hiding places."

Charlie smirked, letting his body ease a little in relief even though he knew the danger wasn't past yet. Don and Ian were close, though, and he drew strength from that.

"You took on the best of the best at LCIS. The best MCRT, the best fugitive tracker. Not to mention their genius consultant."

The door banged opened and Devon grabbed hold of Charlie dragging him to his feet. Nausea and dizziness swept through him, his legs wobbling and barely able to hold him.

"I don't care how good they are, they won't shoot through you. C'mon." 

Charlie let the weakness and the drug drag him down, doing his best to use his body to slow down Devon and give Ian, Don and his team a chance to find them.

#

Don had barely slid the SUV stopped before his team was on the ground and waiting for his orders. He looked around and noted that, while the LAPD and the LCIS backup units had created a perimeter like he'd asked, it was a little closer than he would have liked.

He cocked his head, trying to listen. He thought he heard voices but the thick walls of the building made it impossible to tell for sure. Along with the boarded up windows, it was going to make it difficult for them to see what was going on inside. But it was also going to make it difficult for Devon to see what they were doing, as well. They'd still have to move slowly and carefully, though.

"David grabbed Gonzalez and his team then head around to the back entrance. Do not move until you hear my signal. Megan, Colby go talk to the SWAT commander and have him on standby for entry. Make it very clear that nobody goes in until I say."

He turned back to Ian, only to find him following David. Don took two fast steps and grabbed Ian's shoulder.

"Where are you going? I need you up there." Don pointed at the tall building across the street.

"I'm going in after you brother. I'm not going to give that bastard a chance to hurt him while we sit outside and wait."

"I don't intend to sit out here and do nothing while he's torturing Charlie. I need the best ready to take the shot, when I get him out here. You want one of the LAPD guys up there with Charlie's life on the line?"

Ian snarled and glared for several heartbeats. "If I get a shot, I'm taking it."

Then he shouldered his rifle case, turned sharply on his heel and headed for the building with an angry stride.

"I wouldn't expect anything else," Don murmured before he looked around to see David with a team in tow, disappearing around the edge of the building, giving it a wide berth and staying behind the perimeter created by the law enforcement vehicles. Megan and Colby were talking to the SWAT commander who motioned his men to stand down.

Then Don caught sight of a young uniform talking on his radio and walking backwards with no awareness of the perimeter whatsoever.

"Hey, you! Get back!"

The kid spun around to stare in surprise and fear at Don as he realized where he was. When he turned, his foot connected solidly with a rock sending it skidding toward the building. Don watched as it slammed into a boarded up door. Immediately, a low throbbing alarm started up inside the building.

Don started swearing and directing bodies where he wanted them with everyone hunkered down behind the vehicles. All the while, making it very clear what would happen if anyone made a move without his explicit instruction.

When there was movement, it was the main door opening slowly to reveal a limp, pale Charlie being held up and pushed forward by Devon. A gun was pressed to his side.

Around him, Don heard the sound of multiple weapons being prepared and he shouted, "Hold your fire!"

When he was sure everyone was paying attention to him he turned back.

"Devon. Let him go."

"I don't think so, Agent Eppes. Right now he's all the leverage I've got. You have to admit, he's really good leverage. Unless you want to see what the inside of your brother looks like, you're going to let me go."

"You know that's not how this is going to work, Devon. Put down the gun, let Charlie go and no one else has to get hurt."

Devon laughed, a high sound, with no actual humor and little sanity. "People getting hurt is the whole point. Haven't you read my file?"

"Ian?" Don murmured.

"I don't have the shot. Draw him to the left about five feet."

Don stood up from where he'd taken shelter behind the SUV door. Colby reached for him shaking his head vehemently but Don sidestepped the grasping hand.

"How 'bout we do a trade, Devon?" He asked, walking to the front of the SUV and forcing the murderer to turn to his left to follow the movement. "You let Charlie go and you get me as a hostage instead."

"That doesn't sound like much of a deal at all. Give up the civilian, world-famous genius for an agent who's had self-sacrifice drilled into him since the academy?" The gun in his hand swung away from Charlie to point at Don as Devon screamed. "Stop moving."

He'd continued to shift centimeter by centimeter and Devon had unconsciously followed the movement. Don froze but didn't think he gotten him far enough yet. Still he'd rather have the gun pointed at his vest covered chest than Charlie's vulnerable side.

"Devon. Put the gun down. This isn't going to end well for you."

"I never expected it to end well for me, Eppes. I just wanted to make sure I took down as many packs as I could before I went out. I may die today, but I'll be taking at least one more life and one more pack with me."

In slow motion, the gun hand swung back toward Charlie, Don shouted and he threw himself forward. He knew, though, there was no way he get to Devon in time to do more than avenge his brother.

He heard the shot at the same time he saw the hole appear dead center in Devon's forehead. The rogue fell backward and let go of Charlie. His brother pitched forward at the sudden lack of support and Don was by his side in a blink, crouching down to check him over. Colby was right behind him kicking the gun away and covering the corpse with his weapon, just in case.

Megan appeared on Charlie's other side.

"I'm okay. Don. Just the drug. I think. Maybe."

"You're in shock, Charlie." He could hear the sound of the approaching Emergency Services vehicles. "Just stay still 'til the EMTs get here."

Then he heard running feet and was reaching for his gun before it registered that it was only Ian nudging Megan out of the way and clutching his brother. 


	4. Chapter 4

 

Part Four

Ian sat in an overstuffed leather chair situated at the next to Charlie's king-size bed watching the mathematician sleep. Those minutes Devon had held Charlie at gunpoint while he didn't have a clear shot had been the longest of his life. He'd never considered leaving his weapon behind before. But every second he'd spent securing it had made it feel like a lifetime before he could get to Charlie.

Once sure the professor was safe, he'd stayed by Charlie's side while the EMT's had worked then sat with the professor until they'd transported him to the hospital to be checked over more thoroughly. Ian had wanted to go with him then, too, but he had a responsibility to help Don clean up the mess left in Devon's wake.

Eventually the scene had been cleared, the paperwork filed and Don had sent his team home for the night. The alpha hadn't said a word when Ian followed him to his car. As soon as they got to the house, he directed Ian to Charlie's bedroom and distracted Alan with questions and reassurances.

For the past hour, Ian had been watching Charlie sleep and trying to figure out if he'd ever been so relieved simply to see someone breathe.

From the time of Ian's first transformation after he was Changed, he knew he was different. He was lucky enough that his talents and his inclination lent themselves to the vagabond lifestyle he led. He'd never wished for anything different, never resented the life he'd been forced into, never regretted any of it. But tonight, he found himself wondering _what if_.

Charlie mumbled softly and kicked the sheet down, exposing a pale smooth chest. One that was surprisingly sleek and muscled. As were the shoulders and lithe arms. The entire compact body was strong and beautiful and Ian still hadn't gotten to explore it yet.

"Ian?" Dark eyes blinked at him, still glossy and a little lost.

"Hey." He smiled and leaned forward in the chair, taking Charlie's long slim fingers in his hand. "How are you feeling?"

"Surprisingly fine, considering."

Ian inhaled deeply, not sure how to ask but needing to know, anyway.

"I didn't see any wounds, when the EMTs were looking you over. Did he hurt... Had he start... Were we too late?"

Charlie stared at him, then his eyes widened when he realized Ian was asking if Devon had started on the torture.

"No." Charlie grimaced and shook his head. "He was still entertaining himself by talking about what he was going to do and watching me squirm while he waited for the drug to wear off. He wanted to make sure there was nothing insulating me from the pain."

He squeezed Ian's hand back then slid their fingers together. "Thank you. For saving my life. Again."

Ian remembered the first time. The first case he'd worked with Charlie, when he'd taken out another sniper to protect the genius. He remembered right from the start how much he'd enjoyed needling the professor and making him flustered and off balance.

"Try not to let it happen a third time."

"No. No, I definitely think I've had my share of excitement for a while."

Charlie's eyes slipped away from Ian, looking out the window instead. His face pinched into a pensive frown and his body shifted minutely away from Ian.

Was he uncomfortable with the reminder of what Ian had done? What he was? There were people in law enforcement who were as uneasy around the sniper as wolves were around the freaky Changeling.

Knowing what Ian did was one thing. Having to see it so up close and personal was another. Hearing the bullet streak past his ear and impact the man holding him hostage might be a little much for a civilian math professor to deal with.

Still not looking at him, Charlie asked, "How long do you have? Before you have to leave LA?"

"Uh, until they need me." The question was not at all what he'd been expecting and it took him a second to think. "Tomorrow, probably."

Charlie tugged on the hand he still held, finally looking at Ian, hunger and heat and a sweet uncertainty in those dark eyes. "Then come here. I don't want to waste any time."

Ian couldn't agree more and hastily slid onto the bed, knees straddling Charlie's hips, and tried to take in every inch of the professor through his senses.

#

Charlie's breath caught, held deep inside as long, strong legs settled over him. He wanted to imprint the memory of the moment so deep he never forgot a second of it. Dark eyes raked over him, an intimate caress that made his skin heat under the intense, hungry look. Ian's hand flexed in his and Charlie watched the ripple of movement shifting up the roped muscles of a strong arm, over the sharply defined shoulder and the across broad sculpted chest. The stretched cotton of Ian's olive t-shirt did nothing to conceal the movement.

Ian's lips slid into a slow curve and he leaned over Charlie, planting his free hand next to the pillow. Deep, piercing gaze locked onto him and Charlie felt like he was being read, like he was being consumed from the inside out. He knew it was too late to hide anything from Ian but he closed his eyes anyway.

"Look at me, Charlie." Warm breath ghosted over him. It should have been a command but it wasn't. It was a request. A plea. Hand flexed again, tightening its grip on Charlie's and a thumb began to stroke his wrist bone with a slow, soothing rhythm. The other hand drifted to smooth lightly over his collarbone. Nothing forceful or demanding. Instead a slow seduction. A hopeful persuasion.

A combination Charlie couldn't resist. He licked his lips and let his eyes flutter open and allowed himself to be absorbed in the hungry grin Ian gave him.

"Stay with me, Charlie."

"I am with you."

And he was. Because Ian was holding nothing back either. He could see the same heat, the same want and need, even the same hint of confusion in the lone wolf's eyes. He let himself get lost in the pleasure and forgot about the rest. Pulling his fingers free, he reached with both hands for Ian's t-shirt. Let his fingertips skim under the fabric, slide up the hot contours of etched abs and felt them tremble under his touch.

He flashed his teeth in a feral, demanding smile. "I am with you and you're wearing to many clothes."

Ian leaned back and the t-shirt disappeared in a quick, mouth-watering twist of muscles. Before he could really appreciate the view, Ian was leaning back over him,lips colliding as he claimed Charlie's mouth. He opened immediately, welcoming the stroking tongue, sliding his own over it, stroking against it inviting it deeper. One of Ian's hands sank deep into his hair, holding him steady as their mouths fused in the inferno igniting between them.

Charlie slid one hand against the back of Ian's neck, the other tight around his back, urging him closer, devouring his touch and scent and flavors. As the kiss stretched and blended them into an unending circle of sensation, Charlie needed more. His hand slid from the low concave hollow of Ian's back and over the smooth, denim covered swell of his ass. The harsh moan and stuttering shiver that  made his lips twist in pleasure and crave even more. He cupped and stroked and soothed his way around Ian's body.

When his hand came to rest on the hard well of Ian's erection, Charlie gasped and Ian stilled. He curved is fingers around it the fabric covered cock and mapped it shape, absorbing the heat and throb and thrill of holding him so close and intimate. Then Ian sucked hard on his tongue, drawing him into the tight wet tunnel of lips.

He could hear the high, keening sound he was making in the back of his throat but he didn't care how embarrassed he'd be later. He wanted this, now. More. Everything.

His fingers scrabbled at the fastenings of Ian's jeans even as he lifted his head to try to get deeper inside Ian's mouth, scrabbling and begging with every twitching, clumsy move. Ian groaned and the vibration shivered along his tongue.  Felt it travel all the way to his dick. His hips hitched, dragging against his hands and denim and the flesh he'd finally freed.

Then he was moaning a complaint as Ian's mouth slowly eased back, Ian's hands gently stopped Charlie's frantic attempts to get rid of the fabric between them all together.

"Easy, babe. We'll get there. Trust me."

The words were whispered against the skin right behind his ear and Charlie stilled, absorbing the sensation. Magic, skilled hands divested them both of every scrap of clothes in record time.

Then Ian's long legs slid along the outside of Charlie's. And his cock, thick and hot and wet slid along Charlie's own weeping dick. The long, slow glide drew out the sensation, made every inch of friction explode along over sensitive nerves in a torrent of pleasure.

Charlie shifted, moving his hips back against Ian and the strokes picked up speed and intensity until it became a frantic rhythm that sent burst after burst of pure, liquid heat building. His breath caught in his throat and he whited out from the kinetic pleasure that crashed through him. His release had barely begun when Ian shuttered, stilled, pressed close and bit lightly at Charlie's throat. A second hot, silky pulse against his skin made him smile in a satisfied, smug glow.

He drifted for awhile, but the minute shifting of Ian's muscle's had him clutching at the larger body, a pained whimpered escaping his lips.

Ian paused, brushing kisses against his temple. "I'll be right back. I'm not nearly done with you yet."

The fog cleared and Charlie smiled, pushing back the reminder that Ian _would_ be done with him soon.

"Promise?" He asked with an arched eyebrow while he slid one finger along Ian's spine from neck to ass, watching the shiver roll along the same path.

"Promise." Ian's answer was a little breathless and Charlie let another surge of satisfaction slide through him.

As good as his word, Ian was back in under a minute, a washcloth in one hand. Before he could say anything, though, the warm soft cloth was stroking over his sensitive skin and he relaxed under the gentle care of the lone wolf. Tingles of pleasure began to spark as Ian let his fingers trail along Charlie's flesh in the wake of the cloth. His body sparked and ignited under the touch and before he considered his actions, he'd snatched the cloth away and launched himself at Ian, rolling them both until he straddled the larger shifter.

Looking down at the smug amusement dancing in dark eyes, suspicion bloomed. "You let me do that, didn't you?"

Ian's grin stretched wider and he tucked his hands behind his head. "Are you complaining?"

Charlie's mouth went dry at the view of all that skin and muscle laid out beneath him.

"No. No, not complaining at all." His fingers trembled a little but grew stronger and more sure as he began to touch and caress all the spots he hadn't got to explore the first time around.

#

Charlie was patting at his side table for his ringing cell phone before he was truly awake. He had it in his hand and half way to his still blurry eyes before he realized the phone that had been ringing wasn't his. It was Ian's and the lone wolf was already holding it, grunting monosyllabic responses into it.

He dropped his phone back onto the table and curled back into the warm spot he'd been comfortably unconscious in a moment before. Of course, without the heat pouring off Ian's body, the spot was rapidly cooling. Lying there, he glared up at the hunk of plastic and circuitry pressed to his lover's ear. Earlier today it had been his lifeline. He'd clung to it like a child with a stuffed toy. Now, though, it was his nemesis.

He glanced briefly at the bedside clock. It glowed 2:30 am at him mockingly. Technically tomorrow, but Charlie had just had the most amazing sex of his life with someone he... well... he cared about more than was healthy. He'd really been hoping to get a full twenty-four hours with Ian before the man disappeared out of his life for months. Or years. Or, considering the danger of his job, forever.

Ian hung up the phone and swung his legs over the side of the bed, glancing back at Charlie with wary eyes.

Charlie tried for light and amused. "Duty calls, huh?"

Ian ran a hand over his face and nodded. "Spree killer working his way through Georgia and heading for Florida."

"And they need the best."

Ian twisted around, reaching out to run a thumb over Charlie's cheek.

"Look, Charlie--"

"Don't Ian." He shook his head and covered Ian's hand with his own. "I know. I get it. I knew what would happen when we started this. You don't owe me anything."

He smiled and pushed up to press a kiss against the lips he was already missing.

Ian kissed him back sweet and hungry but also a little distracted. The next mission obviously already on his mind. Then he got out of bed and got dressed.

"Oh," Charlie spoke up as Ian reached for the door. "The keys to your rental are on the dining room table, if you need it."

Ian paused and turned back around to face Charlie. "I don't get back to California much but when I do..."

Charlie's heart clenched and his stomach dropped. His soul tore in two. He wanted whatever he could get with Ian but he knew he'd die a little inside every time he watched the man walk away again.

So he said the only thing he could say. "When you're around, we can be _friends._ "

The flicker of regret that flashed across Ian's face said he understood what Charlie was trying to say. Friends were all they could be, after this.

He crossed back and kissed Charlie hard and deep and thorough and left him breathless.

"You're a good friend to have, Professor Eppes."

And then he was out the door and out of Charlie's life.

#

Charlie was up and out of bed early, despite not sleeping much after the unexpected two o'clock wake up call. He swallowed the groan of surprise when he hit the bottom stair. Don was kicked back in a chair at the dining room table, reading the folded paper in his hand.

"Don. I didn't know you were here. Did you, um, stay the night last night?" Charlie cursed the blush burning along his cheekbones but he couldn't help the embarrassment. He and Ian hadn't exactly worried about being quiet. His father's room was on the other side of the house with several walls between them. Don's old bedroom, though, was right next to Charlie's.

Don smirked up at him and let him fidget uncomfortably before answering. "Nah. I stopped by for breakfast. Figured Dad would be making pumpkin spice pancakes for you this morning. Thought I'd snitch a couple."

His dad made the special pancakes whenever they'd had a really bad day for as long as either of them could remember. Yesterday was definitely among the worst.

Deciding not to dwell on it, Charlie slid into a chair and grabbed the carafe of coffee and a mug from the tray someone, presumably his father, had left on the table.

"I hope he remembered the pecan-caramel syrup. Their not the same without it." Charlie mused as he sipped at the hot coffee.

"Of course I remembered the syrup. Sheesh." His father answered, swinging through the kitchen door with a stack of plates in one hand and a platter of fragrant pancakes in the other.

The elder Eppes glanced around as he set the stuff on the table. "Where's Ian? He's going to join us for breakfast, isn't he?"

Charlie took a large swallow of the hot coffee to cover the twinge of sorrow that sliced through him. He focused on the feeling of it burning all the way down before he answered. "No, ah, he's gone already. Another case."

"Oh. I see." The furrow-browed frown suggested Alan didn't really understand but he wasn't going to push the topic. He wiped his hands together then made a shooing gesture over the food. "Well, dig in. I'll be right back with the rest of the stuff."

Charlie reached for the pancakes but stopped when Don's fingers landed lightly on his arm.

"Are you alright?"

"I'm fine. I'll see someone at the school for some trauma counseling to make you and Dad and Larry feel better."

"That's good. You should do that. I meant about Ian, though."

Charlie really did not want to have this conversation with his older brother. Dropping the pancake onto his plate, he leaned forward across the table and stared at his Don.

"Are you seriously asking me about my sex life?"

Don's eyes widened in horror and Charlie was gratified to see a faint hint of pink flush across his skin. It wasn't often anyone made his brother blush. But Don was a persistent investigator and didn't let a little discomfort deter him from an interrogation.

"I just... after Amita, you locked yourself in the garage for two weeks. I want to know if you're going to be okay?"

Charlie glared morosely down at his pancake knowing he wasn't getting out of this with a flippant answer or a clever side-step of the topic. Not with his tenacious brother.

"I made a lot of mistakes with Amita. I had this ideal relationship mapped out in my head, step by step. I took things at a glacial pace because I wanted things to be perfect and was terrified that something would fall short."

He sighed and took another sip of his coffee. "In retrospect, it really shouldn't have been a surprise. There were plenty of signs she was unhappy. But all I could see was the blueprint relationship in my head. It blindsided me when she left. It shouldn't have, but it did."

"It was more the shattering of the dream and loss of her friendship that hurt. It's hard to be hurt by a relationship that only took place in your head." Charlie laughed a little at the ridiculousness of his dramatic melancholy when Amita took off for Harvard. "Ian, on the other hand is too honest, straight-forward and blunt to let me get away that kind of self-delusion. I knew what we were doing and how it would end. Okay?"

"Okay. But you still look a little..." Don trailed off and waved his had helplessly. Charlie knew he looked pathetic but there wasn't anything that could be done about it.

"I liked him." Charlie admitted. "Probably more than I liked Amita, if I'm honest. I can't help wishing things were a little different. I'll probably mope and pine for a couple of weeks."

Then he laughed at his brother. "Won't be any worse than you spending every night for a week straight at the shooting range after Robin broke up with you."

Don rolled his eyes and their father came back in with an armful of syrup, butter, forks, and canned whip cream, effectively ending the conversation as they dug into breakfast.

#

After breakfast, Don volunteered to help Charlie with the dishes while their father relaxed with the crossword. He hadn't gotten to say what he'd really wanted to, yet. Instead, they'd gotten sidetrack by a conversation about Charlie's _love life._

He washed and Charlie dried while he tried to think of a way to ease into the discussion. Honestly, it shouldn't be this difficult.

"I want you to join the pack." The words blurted out into the silence of the kitchen and the plate Charlie had been wiping slip out of his hand and into the strainer with a clank.

His brother took nearly a full thirty seconds to check over the dish and make sure it wasn't damaged before he exhaled slowly and asked, "What pack?"

"What...? My pack, Charlie. I want you to join my pack."

Charlie dipped his head and started drying the next dish. "Don, I know you have that 'I'm-responsible-for-the-whole-world' complex going on but yesterday wasn't your fault. You were right about not being able to predict crazy. I'm not joining your pack because you feel undeserved guilt."

"You're an idiot, Charlie. That's not why I'm asking. I'm asking because Devon was right about one thing. You are the lynch-pin of my team."

Charlie shook his head. "I'm not. Not really. I'm more like a mascot or something. You don't _want_ me in your pack. You didn't even ask me to run with you until last week."

Oh, this conversation was deteriorating even faster than he'd expected it to.

"First, Charlie, I didn't invite you because you let me believe you already had a pack."

Don shouted the words then stopped, snagged the towel from his brother and dried his hands. Mostly, it was a second to collect himself since it looked like he wasn't going to get out of this without admitting a few embarrassing truths of his own.

"Second, there was an adolescent part of me that still resented having to let his pesky little brother tag along wherever I went." He took a deep breath, a let himself smile a little at his own childishness. "But I'm not thirteen any more. And you're not _quite_ as annoying now as you were when you were eight."

Charlie stared at him like he was an equation that didn't quite make sense. In the other room, the sound of the phone ringing broke up the silence but they both ignored it. Deciding to, hopefully, sweeten his argument, Don added, "Dad's already agreed to join the pack."

"You asked Dad? When?"

"Friday night. When I was going to ask you but decided not to get between you and Ian."

"Friday? Before...?" The stunned expression and a lack of argument gave Don a little snap of satisfaction.

From the other room, their father's bellow interrupted them. "Charlie. Phone. It's Larry. And he's talking faster than usual. I think he's worried about you."

Charlie winced. "If he's talked to Megan, he's going to be pissed that I haven't called him."

He turned and rushed out of the room to take the call. Without answering

Don wasn't too worried about it, though. Ultimately, wolves needed pack. And pack was family. It took him awhile to figure out Charlie and his father belonged with his pack but he got their eventually. Charlie was a genius. He'd figure it out faster.

#

Charlie picked up the extension in his bedroom and barely had time to speak before Larry was off and running.

"Kidnapped? You were kidnapped? I knew working with the LCIS would have some dangers associated with it but nothing like this."

"I'm fine, Larry." He tried to calm the older man down but the physics professor just kept talking over him.

"Megan said he drugged you. You were checked out at a hospital weren't you? I know that drugs affect shifters differently. Who knows what long term effects they could have?"

"Yes, Larry, I saw a doctor, I'm fine." He might as well not even have spoken.

"I can't believe you got involved in something like this. Kidnapped by a mass murderer."

"Serial killer, Larry."

"Now is not the time for semantics, Charles. You were in very real danger. You should not be taking this so lightly."

His mentor finally seemed to be winding down, so Charlie took another stab at reassuring him.

"I'm fine. Ian saved me. No lasting damage whatsoever." Except the potential nightmares but he wasn't going to mention that possibility.

"Ian, is it, now? No longer Agent Edgerton? Megan hinted that there was something more going on but she refused to gossip."

Charlie groaned.

"I have to say, Charlie, I'm glad that you are finally being proactive in your romantic life--"

"He's gone, Larry." Charlie growled, wanting to cut off the conversation before his mentor really got going. It was still a little too fresh and raw and he'd used up his ability to talk about it with Don earlier.

"What do you mean he's gone? Gone where?"

"He's a loner, one who's very, very good at what he does and his service is in demand. He got called out on a case in Georgia the middle of the night."

"The middle of the night, huh? And you know that how?" He could hear the smirk in his best friends voice.

"Fine. Larry. Yes. I slept with him. It was amazing. And now he's moved on."

"But he'll be back from time to time. Maybe a relationship isn't feasible but amazing sex occasionally is nothing to sneeze at."

"Its not going to happen." Charlie sighed rubbed a hand on his eyes and flopped back on his bed. Laying on sheets that stilled smelled like Ian. "When, if, he comes this way again, we'll just be friends."

"Why on earth would you decide that? You're young, unattached and attractive."

"Because, in the few days I spent with Ian, I got more attached to him than I did in months with Amita. It wouldn't take much for me to really fall for him. Despite what the media has you believe, wolf-shifters don't mate for life. But it is a pretty close thing. We fall deep and hard and it takes a lot to break that up. Watching him walk out the door was difficult today. Next time, it might be devastating."

Silence met his confession. He didn't want to dwell on it. And he really didn't want Larry to ponder it too deeply. To change the subject, he announced, "Don asked me to join his pack."

"Well, that's interesting. What did you say?"

"I didn't actually answer him. Your call kind of interrupted the conversation."

"Why on earth wouldn't you say yes?"

"Because, I don't think he wants me to, really. Its just obligation and responsibility."

"You and your brother have always reminded me of a binary star system. Two stars orbiting a common center of mass. Exerting enormous influence on each other simply by existing."

A question slipped to the edge of Charlie's lips but he bit it back, knowing Larry would eventually get to his point.

After several heartbeats of silence, Larry's voice dramatically flooded through the phone. "Marian Sandmaier once said 'A sibling may be the keeper of one's identity, the only person with the keys to one's unfettered, more fundamental self.'"

This time, the hum of silence held expectation and Charlie tried to sort through Larry's words and parse the convoluted thought process of his friend.

"You're saying I wouldn't be me without Don? And he wouldn't be Don without me?"

"It's a theory."

A lifetime of memories, good and bad, started to tick through his brain. The joy of running with Don in the moonlight. The humiliation of being told they didn't want a baby tagging along as Don took off with his friends. The relief and sense of safety when an over-protective Don stepped between Charlie and teenage bullies. The anger and jealousy watching Don leave for the prom. The fear when Don seemed to drop off the face of the earth after joining the Fugitive Recovery Team. The pleasure and smugness the first time Don asked for his help on a case. Most of all, the joy of running under the last full moon. The scent of contentment and acceptance from his brother. None of the frustration or resignation that had permeated the air between them during their high school years.

None of those events had seemed to have a lasting impact beyond the moment, but in accumulation and hindsight...

"Perhaps." Larry broke in with his familiar calm, speculating tone. "Perhaps, this one time, Don has done the math faster than you. He's added it all up and come to the only possible conclusion."

Charlie's wolf nudged with a stinging wave of longing. A need for pack that he'd always been able to tuck away. He'd always pushed aside what his senses and his instincts had told him in favor of logic and reason. Maybe it was time to trust the wolf.

"Your right, Larry. I have to go."

He hung up the phone while Larry was still talking. Taking the stairs two at a time, his shout echoed through the house the way it had when he was a kid. "Dad, is Don still here?"

#

Don stared with tired eyes at the paperwork on his desk. It had been a non-stop week of stakeouts followed by a frustrating car chase and ultimately a footrace through an over crowded mall. They finally got the bastard, though.

Now, it was after eight on a Friday night and he was pretty much alone in the bullpen. He'd sent his team, his _pack_ , home to rest and ice pulled muscles. A couple of other lights glowed from cubicles here and there in the darkened room but it'd been pretty much silent as Don tied up the last of the reports.

So the sound of the elevator drew his attention and he listened to the footsteps that threaded their way from the elevator back to Don's desk. Familiar footsteps, though he hadn't heard them in two months.

Don leaned back and smiled when the sniper walked around the wall with a file in his hand and sat down in the chair across from him.

The investigator in him noted the new tension lines around Ian's eyes, a little extra tightness in his jaw and the sharp rigid line of his shoulder.

"You look tired, Ian."

The smirk was the same when he flashed it before kicking out his legs and leaning back in the chair.

"I used to like it."

Don wasn't sure what Ian was talking about but he figured he'd listen while the other agent got whatever it was off his chest. He dropped his pen on the paperwork having no problem with letting it wait.

"I used to like being constantly on the road. Back to back cases, always moving on to something new, something different."

Don nodded, remembering his time in fugitive recovery. It was exhilarating and exciting. The nonstop rush and frenetic pace. But it had burned him out after just a few years. He wasn't sure how long Ian had been at it but it was a hell of a lot longer than Don had done it for.

"After the spree killer in Georgia there was a jailbreak in Texas and a week or so in Mexico. Then there was a short trip to the Middle East that I can't give you anymore details about." He scrubbed a hand over his face and sighed. "It's all kind of a blur of states and cities and wilderness after that."

His lips twisted, more of a grimace than a smile. "I was in California two weeks ago, a couple hours north. Thought maybe I'd stop down and say hi. Instead, ten minutes after I'd handed over the fugitive, I was on a plane to Alaska. Spent ten days chasing down a rogue wolf who'd stalked and Changed his ex-girlfriend against her will. When I finally caught up to him, well, let's just say when I handed him over, he was a little worse for wear."

Ian chuckled but the sound was dry, more angry than amused.

"My supervisor pulled me aside. Actually offered to get me a little time off."

"Is that why you're here? A vacation?"

He couldn't help thinking of Charlie, wondering if it would be a good idea or not. He knew his brother had missed the lone wolf but would seeing him for a week or two make it better or worse in the long run?

"Not exactly."

He handed over the slightly wrinkled folder he'd been holding onto.

Don opened it and felt his eyebrows raise up. "You've requested a transfer to my team?"

The sniper nodded. "Most alpha's don't want me around at all. You've done alright. You've always seemed to get that I have no interest in being an alpha. That I have no intention of challenging. I thought maybe you could tolerate me. I'm not asking to be taken into your pack. Just on the team. A job that lets me stay put."

"You're serious? You've never wanted to settled down before. Why now?"

Ian's eyes held his for a second then deliberately shifted to the framed picture on Don's desk. He and Charlie stood smiling back to back. A cold flash of surprise stunned him for several seconds. He'd known that Charlie had been in a little deeper than a brief affair but he'd assumed that was all that Ian had thought it was.

"Charlie? Really?"

Ian shrugged and his smile was almost boyish. "What can I say? I like listening to rambling I don't have a hope in hell of understanding."

Well, damn. Having Ian Edgerton on his team would be a hell of a coup. And Charlie deserved the chance to find happiness. Don picked up his pen and signed the transfer, putting the file in the pile destined for HR.

"Welcome to the team, Ian. And into the pack, if you want to."

Dark eyes widened then accepted the outstretched hand Don offered.

"Thank you. I appreciate the trust."

"I should mention that David is my beta and I like it that way." He couldn't order him not to challenge but he could make his preference known.

This time, Ian's laugh was real and relaxed. "If I don't want to be alpha, you really think I want the headache of being a beta? Especially your beta?"

Don chuckled in agreement for a minute, then he sobered.

"He ached after you left. But he wasn't broken. If you let him think you're staying and then decide pack life and settling down isn't for you, I don't think he'll take it well a second time. Don't break my brother."

"I won't." It was a promise, so deep and heartfelt, Don took it as an oath.

"Well, then. You should know he's at the house and Dad went to Vegas with a couple of old buddies for the weekend. I was going to stop in to visit him when I got done here. Think he'd like to see you better."

#

Ian sat in his car and looked at the house, lights blazing from several rooms. When he'd left two months ago, he'd really believed he'd seen it for the last time. He liked the math genius. Had very much enjoyed the time they spent together. If he'd gone off the rails a little when Charlie had been abducted, well, he rarely actually knew the victims of the cases he worked.

When he'd left, Charlie had made it clear he didn't want a repeat. Ian had understood. Charlie was more of a long term kind of guy and he figured, if he worked with Don again, he'd keep things professional. Especially after hearing that Charlie had, finally, officially joined the pack.

Something had been different, though, from the moment he'd gotten on the plane for Georgia. For the first time in twenty-five years Ian hadn't been content to simply be wherever he was. Content to move around from place to place and make a new bed every night.

He didn't dwell in the past. He lived in the moment. Had no regrets about the life he'd lived.

Except...

He couldn't stop thinking about a handful of memories. Of silky curls in his fingers, of a lean body pressed tight to his, of a sable wolf running with joyful abandon like it was the first time. Even chalk covered fingers waggling excitedly in demonstrative abandon made him smile at unexpected moments.

And there was the ever-present tug, a new pressure far deep inside his wolf. It took him a while to figure out it was the pull toward pack he'd heard so much about. A phenomenon that was universal to wolf-shifters but that he'd never experienced himself.

It was more than just a pull toward pack, though.

It was a pull toward a mate.

Of course, Charlie, might not feel the same way as Ian. There'd been a closeness and a connection neither one of them could resist two months ago. But that was then and the professor was very good at compartmentalizing.

No doubt, he'd already very carefully sealed Ian in a box labeled _History_.

Would he be willing to try for something lasting? Would he be willing to risk his affection and his heart on a vagabond wolf?

Ian sighed. He wasn't going to find out by sitting in the car and staring at the house from the outside.

When his hand reached for the door handle, he could see it shaking, feel the faint tremble as fingers closed around the plastic. He'd never hesitated when he'd picked up a rifle. Never flinched when he faced an irate alpha or a pack that loathed him on sight.

But a handful of hours with a skinny math genius had completely undone him. He smiled, got out of the car and headed for the door, hoping to be undone some more.

#

The knock at the door startled Charlie out of the headspace filled with numbers and equations he'd been floating in for... A quick glance at the clock on his laptop told him it was after nine and he'd been completely zoned on his latest obsession for three solid hours.

It had to be Don, considering the time and the pathetic lack of weekend plans afflicting them both.

He laughed when he remembered their argument from that morning. He'd been half-asleep and caffeine deprived when he'd walked into what he'd expected to be an empty kitchen only to run right into Don. Drinking the last of the coffee.

Before he even reached the door, he was talking, knowing his brother would be listening.

"Don, I was only kidding when I reminded you you didn't actually live here anymore. I let you keep your key and--"

He stopped mid-sentence as he swung the door open and saw who was actually on the other side.

Ian Edgerton, looking even better than Charlie remembered. Which should have been impossible because the sniper seemed damn near perfect in his memory. And in the frustrating dreams that plagued his nights. But the flesh was so much better with the tight muscles, dark eyes, sharp cheekbones and wide smile.

"Don had a change of plans. Thought you might not mind some different company."

"I-ah-I." His brain, his greatest gift and most vaunted ally, deserted Charlie.

The smile slipped a little. "Can I come in? Or are you busy?" The features sharpened a little more and Charlie realized he was using his ears and his nose to check out the house for other occupants.

"Busy? No. No, I was just working on some cognitive emergence theory equations. I just wasn't expecting... Come in. Can I get you a drink? Or some food? Have you been traveling?"

He stepped back and knew he was babbling but couldn't seem to stop. He'd known he'd probably see Ian again. But not this soon. And not in his house. Alone. Without Don and the pack as a buffer.

Ian followed him into the house and closed the door then stepped closer and panic flushed through Charlie. If Ian asked. If Ian even touched him, he'd lose his resolve to remain aloof. So he took a quick step back. And then another.

"I'll, uh, get us a couple of beers. Have a seat. Make yourself at home. I'll be right back."

He practically ran into the kitchen. Leaning against the fridge for a second, he forced his breathing back into some semblance of normal before grabbing two bottles out.

When he walked back out, Ian was still standing where Charlie had left him a couple of steps inside the door. His eyes were shuttered now, his face had the stoic, stone-cold expressionlessness he wore before, well before they'd become more than LCIS colleagues.

"I didn't come here to make you uncomfortable. I'll go, if you want me to."

"NO!"

The word exploded and his body moved forward of its own volition. He closed his eyes and took a few more deep breaths. If he kept this up, he was going to have to dig out a paperbag to keep himself from hyper-ventilating.

When he finally looked again, Ian was still in the same place but his face was less icy and more curious.

"Charlie?"

"I just don't know what to say or do. Last time, we... And I... We said we'd just be friends."

"I remember. Is that still what you want?"

"Yes. No. Yes." He set the bottles on the table before his shaking hands lost their grip on the slippery glass completely.

Ian moved swift and silent in a way that Charlie knew could be deadly but he just found sexy.

The older agent was standing at Charlie's back in a heartbeat, hands on his shoulder but leaving a pocket of air between them.

"Let's try this again," he murmured. His mouth was several inches away but Charlie still shivered like he'd been caressed. "What _do_ you want?"

Charlie wanted to sob. He could lie and say he wanted another brief affair, whatever time Ian could spare. Enough to hoard the memories to keep him warm until the next time the agent swung through.

He could tell the truth, that he wanted the leopard to change his spots. Wanted the lone shifter to settle down and _stay._ He knew enough to know Ian wouldn't be cruel but it would hurt just as much to be let down easy when he was told not a chance.

The words and indecision stuck in his throat and he couldn't speak around the rock hard lump they formed there.

"Ok." Ian whispered and moved infinitesimally closer, hands sliding from shoulders down to curl around biceps. "Let's try it this way. I just came from talking to your brother. He approved my transfer to his team and even invited me to join your pack. If you are okay with me being here and just want to be friends still, that's fine. Though I should probably warn you that I will flirt with you outrageously and try to wear you down."

Charlie couldn't believe what he was hearing. Had he worked himself up into such a state that he was hallucinating?

When he didn't say a word, Ian loosened his grip, though he stayed close.

"If you're not comfortable having me here, well, the paperwork hasn't actually been filed yet. I can call him and he can run it through a shredder. I can be on a plane back to Virginia by morning."

"No." It was a whisper, all he seemed to be capable of saying in the emotional roller coaster he was riding. But he managed to turn, to bury his head against Ian's chest and wrap his arms around wide strong shoulders. Under his hands, over-tensed muscles eased and relaxed.

"Good. 'Cause I really didn't want to go. Let me tell you what I want." Now Ian was whispering directly into Charlie's ear, lips grazing the sensitive skin. Charlie shuttered and shivered and tried to burrow closer as the agent spoke. "I want to stay. I want to settled down with the pack. I want to pick up where we left off. In your bedroom and out of it. What I want most is to settle down with you."

Charlie didn't want to look up. This was too much like one of those dreams he'd been trying not to remember. Ian would offer him anything and everything he wanted. Then, in the morning, he faded into the mist of sleep when Charlie woke up alone and aching.

"Charlie. If that's not what you want... well, like I said, I'll work on convincing you it is what you want, eventually. But I can be patient and back off, for now."

Charlie laughed, relief and reaction bubbling up and making it sound just shy of hysterical.

He tilted his head back, finally looking up at the concern in Ian's dark eyes.

"It's what I want. It's what I wanted two months ago and never thought I could have. Are you sure?"

Instead of answering, Ian slid his hands deep into Charlie's hair and pressed their lips together in a devouring kiss.

Ian pulled back just enough so that Charlie could feel the ghostly pressure of his lips moving as he spoke. "I think, finally, we're both sure. Let's go upstairs and try to remember where we left off."

Charlie nodded, smiled and led the way.

#

Don slipped his phone back into its holder and got out of his SUV. He looked over the busy street that, for the moment, was his crime scene. Around him, night clubs throbbed with music and life.

At the other end of the street, Charlie and Ian pulled up on the motorcycle the sniper had indulged in once he'd decided to settle down. Megan was already talking to witnesses but the easing of her posture said she was aware the rest of her pack was on scene.

David and Colby were already by the body, kneeling down to check it over. The beta didn't look up but made a quick gesture and Colby glanced over, smiling when he caught sight of Don.

If he flashed an answering grin and enjoyed a warm spread of pleasure flush through his chest at the approach of the younger agent, it was because his pack was finally what he'd always wanted it to be. A team and a family, close-knit and in-sync.

He'd worried, briefly, that the addition of Ian would throw the fragile sense of connection they'd managed to form back into that limbo of disconnect. But the sniper had slid seamlessly into the fold and, in the four months since he'd join the team and moved in with Charlie, they were stronger and closer than ever.

Don relaxed into the comforting sensation of being surrounded by his pack and focused on the case at hand. 

**Author's Note:**

> 1\. So, I majored in English and Art history. Math and science were not my strong suits. I did my best to research and/or gloss over the theories and facts, but if I made any glaring errors, please let me know.
> 
> 2\. Since no one claimed my story for art, I attempted it myself. This is only my second try at fanart of any type so concrit would be appreciated. :) [Art Master Post](http://elyssblair.dreamwidth.org/21786.html)


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